Horns and Wings
by azurefang
Summary: In New Orleans Elijah hopes to enjoy some peaceful reading, but of course peaceful moments are rare for an Original. If he is not interrupted by Hayley's distress, then it is by Klaus or something else, like hallucinations.
1. Chapter 1

HORNS AND WINGS

_A/N In New Orleans Elijah hopes to enjoy some peaceful reading, but of course peaceful moments are few and far between for an Original. If he is not interrupted by Hayley's distress, then it is by Klaus' sarcasm or something else, something like hallucinations._

_Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me, nor do any mentioned brand names. Original characters are mine._

Elijah heard arguing somewhere in the Mikaelson house in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The place had three floors that opened onto galleries that in turn opened to the private courtyard below. Although this was the home of the Mikaelson brothers, the ground floor was open to many vampires who presently claimed loyalty to his brother Klaus. Several night-walkers actually slept in dark rooms tucked away in the ground floor. There was no basement. New Orleans was built on notoriously low land and was actually below the level of the adjacent Mississippi River. The French Quarter was one of the few places not below that level. The original settlers had been smart enough to pick the some-what high ground for the settlement and port that served river traffic and the Gulf of Mexico not far away.

One of the arguing voices that he heard was female. There were three females in the place. One was a cook and another a maid. The third was Hayley Marshall, a young woman who was also a werewolf. Incredibly, she was pregnant by Klaus, who, as a vampire, was supposed to be sterile. However, he was half werewolf, and apparently that trait made him fertile, probably only when the moon was full. Neither Hayley nor Klaus turned into the wolf form unless they wanted to do so. The baby had been conceived when both of them were in human form and in lust. Was there any hope the baby would be normal? No.

Recognizing the female voice as that of Hayley, Elijah laid aside the book he was reading and hurried from his third-floor room out onto the open gallery. It was around three o'clock in the afternoon and, as far as he knew, no one was around except himself, Hayley, the staff and the sleeping vampires. Klaus, Marcel and the day-walkers were out and about tending to business.

"Get out!" came Hayley's voice sharply. "You don't belong in here. This part of the house is private." Her voice carried easily to an alarmed Elijah.

"I don't think so. I had to come see the werewolf bitch they said was here. No werewolves are supposed to be in the Quarter. They told me that. I'm new here, but I've learned some facts already. Klaus Mikaelson is one of the ones they call an Original. He's gathering an army of vampires. I figure that since I'm a day-walker, he can use me."

"That may be so, but he's not here right now and you have to stay on the ground floor. So, get out of my room!"

"Or what? Look at you. Who knocked you up, bitch? You got a litter of puppies in there? Little wolf cubs? Is that what werewolves do on the night of the full moon, run around mating? Does that mean you have to whelp them on the night of the full moon?"

"GET OUT!" Hayley screamed at him. "LET GO OF ME!"

Hayley's room was on the third floor and Elijah was there in a flash. He came in through her open door and saw the man trying to hug and kiss her. Fury washed over Elijah who was deeply in love with the young woman. Although he had hidden his feelings for months, Hayley knew how he felt now. He had finally given her a kiss on the lips. When she had returned the kiss with some passion, he had put his arms around her snugly and rejoiced in the moment.

The sight of this other vampire taking advantage of her against her will blinded him with rage and he struck out. He was usually a calm and reserved fellow, willing to come to some peaceful arrangement in disputes, but he was also a stone-cold killer when so moved. Using fingernails extended into knife-sharp claws, he gave one powerful slash, which decapitated the other vampire. Blood spurted everywhere before the fellow could even fall to the floor. In a moment Elijah and Hayley were drenched in red. So was the ceiling and the carpet, as well as the ornate desk and chair what were in the line of fire.

The two people stared first at each other and then at the bloody mess. It was not unusual for the courtyard to be bathed in blood, but not one of the private bedrooms.

"I apologize, Hayley," Elijah said, although he really didn't feel sorry about killing the man. "I've made a terrible mess in your room. I should have taken him outside."

Hayley stepped around the corpse and moved close to Elijah. She reached out and took one of his hands, squeezing it.

"It's alright, Elijah. I'm just glad you were around to come to my rescue. I can fight, but I don't want to do anything to harm my baby." She had once considered ending the pregnancy, but had changed her mind. Both she and Elijah had known that Klaus had initially refused to acknowledge the baby or to want it, but he had finally changed his mind. As the child of two supernatural beings, it would not be normal, and they all knew that the local coven of witches also wanted to get their hands on the child as soon as it was born. So, Hayley was living under the protection of Klaus' vampires. None of whom were presently there to protect her.

She now leaned close and planted a soft kiss on Elijah's blood-spattered lips. She didn't like the taste of blood, but she couldn't pass up the chance to kiss her hero, so quick to kill on rare occasions, and not one to boast about it. Obviously, he would kill for her.

Elijah put both of his hands on her face, holding her gently so he could prolong the kiss. He also could taste the blood of the dead vampire. Unlike her, he relished the taste of blood. It tended to send a thrill through his body. That, plus having contact with her, caused a stirring in his groin. She couldn't tell because her large belly was between them. When he moved his lips from her mouth, he let his tongue move over her chin. In fact, when she didn't protest or move away, he licked the blood from her face.

He stepped back in surprise when the baby in her protruding belly kicked him. Hayley laughed, pressing her hand to her abdomen. She then took Elijah's hand and pressed it there, too. The baby kicked again.

"She's quite active. And I think she likes you," she said with a grin.

"You're sure it's a girl?"

"I'm sure."

They became aware that a couple of people had come to the open doorway. It was the maid and the cook. They looked concerned, but not shocked. They had seen mayhem down in the courtyard more than once.

"Elise, call those people who clean up unfortunate messes for us. This intruder seems to have lost his head," Elijah said to the maid.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Elijah," the woman said. She and the cook walked away.

"I'd better take a shower before they come," Hayley said, moving away from Elijah.

"I must, as well," he said. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll probably have bruises on my arms where he grabbed me, but I'm not otherwise hurt. Go on. Get cleaned up."

He walked from her room. He returned to his own room, entered the bathroom and peeled off his sticky clothes. Another ruined expensive suit. His fury had faded and had been replaced by his love of that woman. She had seen him at his worst and still was attracted to him. She had seen him angry enough to kill. She had also seen him at his weakest. She had taken care of him when he had been sick and in pain after his vengeful brother Klaus had bitten him. Since a werewolf bite could kill a normal vampire, the bite of the hybrid had made Elijah very ill. Only the fact that he was an Original had saved him. He also suspected that, had he been a normal vampire, Klaus would have come to his rescue in the end. While Klaus' saliva could be venomous, his hybrid blood was the cure.

As he stepped into the hot water of the shower, Elijah concentrated on recalling the feel of Hayley's lips and her skin under his tongue, the heat of her human body, the smell of her, even under the smell of all that blood. Not for the first time he wanted to slowly undress her and caress her all over. He wanted to be in bed with her. He was too concerned about the baby's safety to consider having regular intercourse with her, but there were other ways. All these thoughts excited his manhood and he took himself in hand until relief came.

By the time he had washed all the blood off and was dressing in clean clothes, he could hear that the cleaning crew had arrived. It seemed that in every city there was at least one business that could be called to secretly clean up the mess vampires – and some others – could make. The bodies either disappeared forever or were relocated to somewhere else. Vampire bodies could be left out in the sun where they would burn up and turn to ash. The least little breeze dispersed the ashes.

Once dressed, Elijah stayed in his room, although he did open the door. He wanted to be able to tell when his brother returned. He also wanted more time to unwind. What had happened in Hayley's room had been alarming, then violent and then sexually exciting. The shower and self-stimulation had not totally calmed him. He decided to sit and read for a while. Reading tended to close his mind to what was going on and to take him away to some other place or time. He "met" new people who usually interested him in one way or another. Even re-reading old favorite books did likewise, taking him back to some seemingly familiar place and time.

So, he poured himself a shot of whiskey, sat in his favorite chair and picked up a new soft-cover book he had sent for, the one he had started reading before he had heard Hayley's alarmed voice. He sipped and read. Or tried to read. After a couple of minutes, he realized that he had read the same page three times and barely knew what had taken place. Visions of Hayley kept creeping into his mind. His hands on her face. Her bulging abdomen against his flat one. Her soft, warm lips against his. Her intoxicating scent.

Shaking his head in frustration, he forced himself to concentrate and to actually read and understand the words on the page. Despite being mentally transported to another place for a while, he still became aware that his brother returned and spoke to the clean-up crew. He also spoke to Hayley. Elijah didn't concentrate on hearing the words, knowing that Klaus would seek him out in no time and would have something to say about what had transpired. More than the words, he listened to Klaus' tone of voice. The younger brother was usually far more emotional than Elijah himself.

"What are you doing, brother?" Klaus asked in a calm voice as he finally walked into the sitting area of the bedroom and saw Elijah in his usual chair with the book in hand.

Elijah looked up at his younger brother and raised an eyebrow. "I am doing what I appear to be doing."

"Ah, yes. Reading a book with a pale, leggy woman on the cover. Surely you are not reading a cheap romance novel."

"Surely I am not. Or at least, it is not a romance so far."

"Well, I should hope you are more sophisticated than that, brother."

"Some say romance makes the world go 'round. Great operas are based on love lost or won, for the most part," The older brother pointed out.

"That's different," Klaus said with a snort.

Elijah wondered when Klaus would bring up the subject of Hayley and the intruder. Why and when the hybrid said something was often unpredictable. Klaus liked to make people wait for an answer. Elijah could be patient. For a while.

_A/N There will be consequences to the Hayley/intruder situation, so stay tuned, as they say. I read that Kol will definitely be back for some flashbacks on the Originals series. I'm glad to hear it. He adds something to the show._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Thanks guys for reading this new story. I want to explore more of a relationship between Elijah and Hayley._

Chapter 2

Wondering just what Elijah was reading, Klaus moved closer to Elijah's chair, bent down and looked more closely at the book's cover, although much of it was hidden by Elijah's hand. He saw that there was a man standing behind the pale woman in the black dress. He could see most of the title. "_Grady Nocturnis_. Is that what it sounds like? Could the hero be a vampire?"

"Yes. A rather unwilling one."

"How can you waste your time reading such foolishness? You usually read something more pertinent to today's social problems or a biography or one of the classics." With a smirk, Klaus looked down at his older brother, sitting calmly in his favorite chair, the vampire book in his lap.

Elijah was not disturbed by his brother's words or attitude. "That is true. Not today. When I am in the mood, curiosity makes me read these books to see what the author has written about us vampires," Elijah explained, even though he owed no explanation to Klaus. "The so-called rules of vampirism vary according to authors. It's interesting. I would venture to say that nary an author actually knows a vampire."

"Or knows that they know one. And does that author's ideas vary?"

"Somewhat. Have you not read any vampires book at all?"

"One. No, two. I, of course, read _Dracula _years ago. It's a classic. And I will admit to reading the book that had something to do with interviewing a vampire, also years ago. I have not read one since. Needless to say, I have more pressing matters than to read vampire books or watch vampire movies or television shows."

"I am well-aware of that, Niklaus. I have much on my mind, too. However, I enjoy the occasional downtime. And I have seen you sit and read quite often."

"All right. I'll admit to that, but I don't spend my 'downtime' reading vampire books. Weren't you embarrassed to go into a book store and walk to the checkout counter with that thing?"

"I didn't go to a bookstore. Perhaps you have not noticed, but many bookstores have closed. I ordered this one on line from Amazon. It's the wave of the future. That and the various e-books."

"Nothing should replace real books and real paper! The idea bothers me," Klaus said with a frown.

"Sometimes, I don't know about you, Klaus," Elijah said with a sigh. "You have seen and accepted thousands of new ideas and inventions over the centuries. This is just one more. It's the age of electronics. The digital age. Progress."

"I suppose that's true. Just because I accept a change does not necessarily mean I approve of it."

"You use your computer often and your cell phone constantly."

"Truly useful, of course. Now, how about you put that book down and come down to the office. I want to show you something."

Elijah closed the book and laid it one the table beside his chair. He took another sip of his drink, but didn't rise from his chair. "Aren't you going to say anything about what happened a short while ago?"

"Hayley told me. I have someone looking into it. What more is there to say?"

"Someone is supposed to be here on watch all the time, Niklaus. No one was. Only I was present. Hayley could have been hurt. The baby could have been in danger."

"I realize that. Johnny J was supposed to be here. I intend to find out why he was not. If he does not have an excellent excuse, he is a dead man." There was a sharp edge to his voice.

The rule in the small army of vampires that looked to Klaus (or to Marcel) for leadership was that none of them kill a fellow vampire. No one complained if Klaus, Elijah or Marcel chose to execute one. Some might privately object, but not out loud to the leaders.

Elijah stood up and followed his brother out of the room, closing the door behind him. They went down to the office on the ground floor. Klaus used his cell phone to contact Johnny J. The vampire himself walked into the office just as his phone was buzzing. He glanced at it, then looked at Klaus. Since the members of the cleaning crew were just leaving, he knew something had happened.

"Where were you?" Klaus demanded.

"At Devil Dan's."

"And why were you there and not here?"

"Elijah asked me to meet him there."

Klaus looked at Elijah who gave his head a slight negative shake.

"You did! Sir," Johnny J said, looking at the older brother. He was a dark African American. If he were not, he would have looked pale with fear. His eyes had grown large with alarm.

"Until this moment, I have not spoken to you today."

Klaus spoke up again, softly. "It is not helping your case to lie." He tilted his head slightly, a deceptive smile on his face.

"I'm not lying! I got the message he sent!"

"Sent?" Klaus asked. "How was it sent?"

"A vampire came and asked if I was Johnny J. I said I was and he told me Elijah wanted me to go to Dan's right then. So I went."

"You knew this vampire?" Elijah asked.

"No."

"Describe him."

The description matched that of the man who had accosted Hayley, the one Elijah had beheaded. Elijah told this to Klaus.

There was a long pause while Johnny J looked back and forth between the Original brothers.

"You were foolish to take an order from someone you didn't know," Klaus finally said. "You left Hayley unprotected and that vampire tried to assault her. Luckily, my brother was here. I will have to think of some appropriate punishment for you, something not too severe, but still unpleasant. You are to resume your post for now. Go."

Johnny J nodded and quickly left the room, relieved that the cleaning crew didn't have another mess to remove.

Klaus wanted to show Elijah a report he had received, having to do with something political in New Orleans. Elijah studied the document for a minute, gave his opinion and listened to his brother's argument to the contrary. Klaus already had his mind made up and Elijah knew it. He didn't feel like getting into a debate, so he listened and didn't press his views. When he could, he left Klaus to his planning.

It was not until some hours later that Elijah joined Klaus, Hayley and a politician and his wife for dinner there at the house. The Mikaelsons' cook was good, but Klaus often hired a chef and assistant to serve a more elaborate meal, especially in the evenings when the cook had more food to prepare. The cook was also responsible for providing basic meals for the various vampires that hung around the "compound," as the house and courtyard were often called. Although some of the vampires had their own homes and families, for the most part, the rest were single men and a few woman who hung out as a gang or "nest," often ate and slept there, and took orders from the boss.

In addition, Klaus supplied bottles and bags of blood, but the vampires frequently went right to the natural source. Klaus insisted that, on a day to day basis, they feed without killing. There were thousands of university students in the greater New Orleans area, as well as men off the ships docked there, tourists and regular residents. The vampires had an uneasy truce with the city, and they could not kill a lot of people. They were good at feeding and then making victims forget that they had been bitten.

With a chef in the modern kitchen, the food served to the politician, his wife, the two Mikaelsons and Hayley was quite delicious. They ate their meal in the formal dining room on the second floor. Elijah enjoyed good food, as did Klaus. Unlike some lines of vampires, they could eat regular food and enjoy it. To Elijah, it seemed that it would be most uncivilized not to be able to do so.

After dinner the men retired to the room Klaus had set up as a library and den. The wife and Hayley went to a sitting room to chat. Neither of them really wanted to hear what the men were planning. Hayley had never met this woman, named Sybil, but found her to be a pleasant lady. Sybil had three children and a grandbaby already, and she was very interested in Hayley and the baby she was carrying. Hayley was healthy, but she had few people to talk to about motherhood. She found that she was drawn to Sybil and her experiences.

Elijah was interested in the politics of the area as they applied to the French Quarter. He provided input in the conversation, but his mind kept returning to his earlier contact with Hayley. In a way, he didn't like that it kept taking his mind off business, but he was so rarely in love that he wanted to cherish it.

"Elijah, did you hear the question?" Klaus asked at one point.

"No. I apologize. I was distracted by another thought."

"You do seem distracted this evening. I would appreciate your paying attention to this problem."

Elijah did try to keep focused, but more and more his mind wandered, and not just to Hayley. He finally excused himself and left the room with Klaus and the guest staring after him. He didn't feel right, as if he were a bit dizzy or his vision was not right. He felt a bit queasy in his stomach. He glanced into the sitting room and saw Hayley and Sybil relaxed and talking. Hayley gave him a little wave.

_What the hell!_ he thought, taken aback.

_A/N What is going on with Elijah? We'll see. I could use some reviews to encourage me with this story. Thanks._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He just stared at her, astounded by what he was seeing. Hayley had wings! They were large and white and reminded him of the models in the Victoria's Secret commercials. They were beautiful and rested just behind her shoulders and out a bit to each side. He concluded that if she spread them, she could fly like the winged horse Pegasus or an angel. How lovely!

_I must be hallucinating!_ he thought with alarm_. Of course, Hayley has no wings._ _Why do I see them?_

He turned from the doorway and made his way out onto the gallery. Looking down at the courtyard, he saw that it was crowded with the various vampires just hanging around, talking, laughing and drinking booze or blood. They looked up at him to see if he wanted anything from them. He stared back, noticing that they all had devil's horns and tails. Almost sick with alarm, but refusing to show it, he went up the nearest stairs to the next floor and to his room. Once inside, he closed the door and leaned against it.

_What is wrong with me? Has a witch cast a spell on me?_ he wondered_. I need to tell Niklaus._

With shaking hands he texted his brother saying he needed to see him in his room right away. He knew Klaus would not be pleased, but this was important. A text message came saying that Klaus couldn't leave his guest and what was so pressing?

"**Hallucinating "**

"**Stay calm."**

_Stay calm, he says. How can I stay calm when I am seeing things that do not exist? If I find the witch who is doing this to me, I will most assuredly kill her. Or him. Whomever._

He paced around in his room for several minutes and began to feel nauseated. He finally knew he was going to vomit and he headed for his bathroom where he lost his dinner.

About fifteen minutes later, the blond brother appeared at the door to Elijah's bathroom, where the older brother was sitting on the floor next to the toilet, his eyes closed.

"Why are you ill? You said you were hallucinating."

When the older brother looked up at Klaus, he gasped aloud. He was taken aback by the horns and tail, even though the rest of Klaus looked normal. Elijah thought he might attack and he felt adrenaline course through his body. He would fight this demon who looked like Klaus if necessary.

"What the hell is the matter with you tonight?" Klaus demanded.

"I don't know," Elijah murmured, looking away, then looking back, confused and alarmed.

"What? You don't know? Don't look at me like that. I'm annoyed, but I don't plan on staking you or something of that ilk. Are you hallucinating now?"

"Yes!"

"What are you hearing or seeing?"

"You have horns and a tail, like the devil!"

Klaus felt the top of his head. "No horns, Elijah." He felt the seat of his pants. "No tail either. It isn't real, brother."

"I'm certain you are correct. I don't know what is causing this. Nor do I know the cause of my physical illness. I feel awful." In fact, he leaned over the bowl and retched.

Klaus could not recall Elijah actually vomiting in years. Maybe he had done so months ago when he was sick with werewolf venom. In a major snit, the hybrid Klaus had bitten Elijah, knowing the venom would make his brother suffer, but the Original would not die of the bite as a regular vampire would. Hayley had taken care of Elijah at that time at the shack in the bayou and she had dealt with whatever way he had behaved until he had recovered.

Klaus was not good with sympathy or empathy, but he knelt down on one knee and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. He inhaled.

"You smell odd," he said. "And I don't mean because you are vomiting. I smell a chemical. Have you consumed anything unusual?"

"No. And I ate the same meal that you did. If the food was poisoned, you would be ill, also," Elijah gasped between spasms of retching.

"Unless only your food was doctored. I suppose it is foolish to ask whom you may have angered recently."

"Most recently the one I killed assaulting Hayley. Not that he had time to be angry at me. He was angry at her for being a werewolf. But perhaps he has family, someone who found out it was I who killed him," Elijah said as he wiped his lips on the corner of a towel Klaus handed him.

"And what, he made the chef poison your food? Surely you would have tasted it."

"The food was spicy, which I do like, but that could have hidden the taste of a subtle poison. I thought the hallucinations were caused by a spell, but I suppose it could be by a poison."

"Or both. Do you feel better now that your stomach is empty. Oops, I guess not."

Klaus moved back just in time to avoid projectile vomiting that came so fast that Elijah didn't have time to lean over the toilet. It made a mess on the floor.

"Damn! Niklaus, I believe I am going to pass out."

"You are pale as a ghost. Lie down. Lie on your side. That's it. Here's a towel in case more comes up. Let me move you away from the toilet."

As Klaus was moving his brother, Hayley came to the open doorway.

"What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed to see Elijah on the floor. She also noticed the telltale puddle. She grabbed another towel from a rack and put it over the mess.

"Poison, we think." Klaus got on his cell phone and asked the cook to put aside any food that had been served Elijah and any plate, cup or glass he had used. She said the chef and his assistant had already put the garbage in a garbage can since the garbage disposal unit under the sink was broken, but she would save the food. Not all the dinner-ware was in the dish washer yet.

"Do what you can." To Hayley, he said, "Help me undress him."

Elijah, who was wearing a three-piece suit, a tie that he had loosened and expensive shoes that had a bright shine, muttered, "I can undress myself later. Just let me rest for a few minutes."

"I know how you feel about your clothing. It is not doing your suit any good to be on the floor. Besides, you are sweating." Klaus was well-aware that vampires didn't sweat unless they were very ill.

"Leave me alone," Elijah fussed as his brother began removing his shoes.

Hayley knelt down awkwardly and said, "It's alright, Elijah. Let us take care of you."

He turned his head and looked up at her. He frowned, shook his head and groaned.

"What?" she asked as she undid his tie.

"You still have wings. Don't get the tips dirty."

"Wings? What are you talking about?"

"He's having hallucinations," Klaus said, putting the shoes and socks aside. "I have horns and a tail. You have wings."

"A devil and an angel," Elijah muttered before he grabbed the towel and vomited again. After he wiped his mouth with the towel and was given a clean one, he rested his head down on the tiled floor. "I feel the way that fellow in the book I'm reading must have felt." He closed his eyes, exhausted.

"A man in a book?" Hayley asked.

"Don't ask," Klaus ordered, and Elijah didn't have the energy to answer anyway.

Soon, the two had him undressed except for a pair of blue plaid boxer shorts. He was weak, dizzy and his hands shook, but he was still awake. Having turned him one way or another to remove his clothing, they finally turned him onto his left side. He didn't complain when Haley used a nice warm wash cloth to wipe his face and brush his damp hair from his forehead with her hand. He reached up and laid his cold hand over hers.

Klaus noticed this. He was not sure exactly what was going on between Elijah and Hayley. He knew his brother cared a lot for the woman and was protective of the baby, but he didn't think that they were lovers. Elijah could be very reserved and proper. It was unlikely that he would try anything with a woman so heavy with child, a child not his own.

Klaus was fond of Hayley, but not in love with her. She was a werewolf and a brave one, a leader in her pack. More importantly, she carried his child, a baby he had never thought he could father, a baby made in the heat of a moment. The next generation of Mikaelsons. He also knew that this fact was highly significant to Elijah, for whom family was extremely important.

"Shouldn't we get him to his bed?" Hayley asked.

"Not yet. The floor is easier to clean than the bed," Klaus said logically. "I'm going downstairs and see what the cook has found. You'll stay with him?"

"Yes." Hayley folded a plush bath towel and put it under Elijah's head as a small pillow. She laid another large bath towel over his mostly-naked body. It made her feel better. When Klaus had left the room, she brushed her hand along Elijah's cheek.

"You are not comfortable kneeling on this tile floor," Elijah murmured. "Please get up. Sit on the edge of the tub or on the toilet."

Hayley chose the flat edge of the tub. It put her closer to him and he could see her.

"This is humiliating," he said.

"I'm sorry you're sick. Do you feel any better?"

"Perhaps a little." In truth, he didn't feel better. His vision seemed to swim and Hayley appeared to raise her wings and flap them. He closed his eyes. When he felt her hand on his, he grasped it. It was nice and warm. She was so wonderfully warm.

As he lay there feeling miserable and disoriented, he heard voices. He wasn't actually hearing them at the moment, but realized it was a memory from earlier in the evening. Daily, he overheard a great many conversations or the voices of people on cell phones, but he shut out ninety-nine percent of them. His vampire senses let him hear more of the surrounding noises than humans did, and like them, he paid no attention to most of it. It was just background noise.

But now his confused mind concentrated on what he had heard before when the chef's assistant had been on his cell phone. Something about it made Elijah realize that the man had been speaking to someone about putting something in someone's food. Even in Elijah's confused mind, he now knew the reference had been to him and his food. He also heard where the persons planned to meet later.

He now tried to tell Hayley, but he wasn't being very successful in getting the words out. Hayley leaned down close and tried to understand, but Elijah's mouth was dry and the words were mumbled. She wasn't even sure he was trying to tell her something or if he was just rambling.

Klaus returned and knelt down beside his brother.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Elijah's attempt to answer was unintelligible.

"He kept mumbling something like 'wigglies.' It doesn't make any sense to me," Hayley said.

"Wigglies? Elijah, what are you trying to say? Is it important?"

Elijah heard the question. He tried to say "Yes," which came out as ess. He added a nod to his word, wishing he could explain more clearly.

_A/N Who or what are "wigglies?" I hope you all liked this chapter. I want this story to have more interaction between Elijah and Hayley._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I don't understand 'wigglies.' What are wigglies?" Klaus asked, wondering what his brother was thinking in his confused mind.

Frustrated, Elijah tried harder and repeated the word he meant.

"Rigglies?" Hayley asked. "I think he said 'rigglies', not 'wigglies.' Does that make any difference?"

"Rigglies. Do you mean Rigolets?"

Hayley didn't know the difference because Rigolets was pronounced Rigaleez and sounded close to rigglies.

Elijah nodded, relieved Klaus understood the name.

"What does the Rigolets have to do with anything, brother?"

"Man, poison. There."

"Where is there? He means a place?" Hayley asked.

"Yes. It's east of here. South of Slidell. It's where Lake Pontchartrain drains out toward the Gulf. There used to be a large number of small houses on stilts out that way, but Hurricane Katrina destroyed them. Alright. We'll add that bit to what we know. I'll send a couple of my men over there and see who they can find."

Klaus left and Hayley stayed with Elijah. "I'm sorry I didn't know what you meant. I'm not really familiar with that eastern part of Louisiana, although I'm sure I have heard that name before."

Elijah reached out with a shaking hand and Hayley clutched it with both of hers. "Let me get you a sip of water." She let go, went to the sink and filled his glass part way. She then knelt down, lifted his head a bit and let him take a sip. He moved the liquid around in his mouth, swallowed and took a second sip.

"You. Wings," he managed to say as she sat on the tub edge again.

"I still have wings? Wouldn't that be incredible?"

"Victoria's Secret," he murmured and produced a hint of a smile.

"I'm not in frilly underwear, am I?" She wasn't sure what his hallucinating eyes were seeing.

"I'd like."

"I bet you would. None of the girls in those commercials have a belly out to here." She had to chuckle, her hand on her abdomen. He had such a subtle sense of humor.

"Lovely."

"Oh, sure. I don't feel lovely."

"You are."

"Flatterer. How about I flatter you? You know you are a handsome devil."

"I have horns and tail?" He tried to reach up to feel the top of his head.

"No! I didn't mean that literally." She looked down on him as he lay on his side with his head on the folded towel. His hair was mussed up, which it usually was not. He tended to comb it just so. Hayley rather liked his hair mussed. It gave him a rakish look. She also liked the smile on his pale face. He didn't smile a lot and it was nice to see. It touched her heart to see the loving look in his eyes despite how miserable he felt.

_I never considered really being with a vampire, taking one as my mate_, she thought_. My night with Klaus meant nothing. But I surely am drawn to Elijah. I think we would be a danger to each other. But since he is an Original, if I accidentally bit him, it wouldn't kill him. He did suffer a lot when Klaus bit him, though. Why am I even thinking this? He is attracted to me, but I don't think it's really love. He's been around forever, practically, and he's probably had women beyond count. I just happen to be the woman of the moment. I like it though. He's a gentleman and treats me like a lady._

Elijah looked up at her and wondered what she was thinking. He watched as her wings slowly moved back and forth, the tips brushing the floor. He reached out and touched one of her feet clad in tan leather sandals. She had the remains of a pinkish mail polish on her toes. His fingers moved to the slender ankle and he let his thumb caress her skin. He could feel the stubble of hairs. Did female werewolves shave their legs? Probably, since they spent almost every day as a human.

Hayley moved her foot away from his grasp. "I didn't shave my legs," she said, embarrassed. "I can't reach them very easily anymore." She was wearing slacks, but they didn't cover her ankles when she sat down.

"Not important," he said. His mouth was getting dry again. His hallucinations increased and Hayley's feet were now encased in sparkly red shoes.

"Not in Kansas anymore," he told her, thinking of the red shoes in the _Wizard of_ _Oz._

"No. Louisiana. Have you ever been to Kansas City?" She was just trying to make conversation with him to take his mind off his illness.

"Missouri?"

"No, Kansas. I lived there for a while when I was a girl. I was born there," she said as she knelt down and offered him another swallow of water. "Where were you born?"

"Mystic Falls," he said after swishing the water around in his mouth.

"I know you lived there recently, but where were you born?"

"Mystic Falls."

"You can't have been, Elijah. Columbus only discovered America five hundred years or so ago, and you are a thousand years old."

"Vikings here first. And natives."

"Oh. In Virginia?"

Elijah nodded his head, his eyes closed. A song had begun to run through his mind and it repeated itself. He didn't like when a song did that. It was annoying. He began to hum it.

"What are you singing?"

"Kansas City song. Go there, you and I." He continued to hum the song that Hayley now recognized. She decided that she should not have mentioned her home town. "Elijah, what are you doing? Just rest."

But Elijah felt he had to get up. He rolled onto his abdomen, letting the big towel that covered him fall to the floor, and slowly got to his hands and knees. He wobbled, but he made his way out of the bathroom and toward the main door of his bedroom.

Hayley went along beside him, trying to steer him toward the bed. Although she liked to see his back muscles ripple as he moved, she also felt embarrassed for him. Here was the great Original Elijah crawling along in his blue plaid boxers and humming a country music song. Or was it a blues song? The situation might have been amusing if this were some bedroom game they were playing, but they weren't.

The bedroom door opened, almost hitting Elijah on the head.

"And where do you think you are going?" Klaus asked, looking down at him.

"Going to Kansas City, Niklaus," the older brother managed to say. His tongue was sticking to his dry mouth.

"Is that so? How about we postpone that plan and you get in bed?"

"No." Elijah didn't have the energy to raise his head to look up at Klaus, so he was looking at the hybrid's boots. Expensive boots, but scuffed, with traces of dried blood in the crack between the sole and the foot part. Klaus should take better care of his attire.

"Yes. To bed you go," Klaus said and he reached down, got hold of his brother under his armpits and stood him up. He didn't expect Elijah to stand there, but it gave him a chance to put one of Elijah's arms over his shoulders for support.

"Let go of me!"

"Make me," Klaus said with a grin as he hauled his brother toward the bed.

Really annoyed, and feeling threatened by the horn next to his head, Elijah let his fangs down and tried to bite.

"Now, now. None of that. Be a good boy," Klaus said, avoiding the fangs. He tossed his brother onto the bed. "You need rest. You won't be able to trust your own thoughts until this poison wears off. Are you still hallucinating?"

Fangs retracted, Elijah glared up at Klaus. "Horns larger now." In fact, to the sick man, they were now as big and bulky as those of a bighorn sheep, the curl of them thick and rough.

"Are they?"

"Indicative."

"Indicative of what? My truly evil nature? Apparently that's how you see me, brother. And yet, you never fail to try to turn me away from my mean side.'"

"Can always hope."

"Hope springs eternal for some people. Listen, I have found out some facts. The vampire you killed in Hayley's room has a brother. He's not a vampire, but he is in training to become a chef. It was unfortunate that the brother was with Claude, the very chef I like to use for special occasions. Like this evening. You know Claude."

Elijah nodded. Claude, trained in the culinary arts in Paris, prepared excellent meals and could be hired from his regular employment by appointment.

"Apparently, Claude had no reason to distrust his assistant Jaden and wasn't watching him closely. Thus, Jaden was able to slip some drug into your food and place the plate in front of you. As you said before, the spices covered the flavor."

"Why Rigolets?"

"There is also a father. Claude told me that Jaden and his brother often spent time with the father who fishes from that area. Claude doesn't know that you killed Jaden's brother, so he found it hard to believe that Jaden would poison you."

"Need to know what poison," Elijah said hoarsely.

"I am attempting to find out, but analyzing samples from the garbage may take a while. I want to take a sample of your blood." From one of his pants pockets he pulled a syringe with a capped needle attached and a vial used for blood samples. "Are you going to let me do this?"

Confusing thoughts and fears ran through Elijah's mind. The horned beast wanted to take his blood! Should he let him? He looked at Hayley. She nodded. In fact, she came to the other side of the bed, sat on the edge and took Elijah's hand. With a nervous frown, he laid his other arm in front of Klaus. Without hesitation, lest Elijah change his mind, Klaus stuck the needle into one of his brother's good veins and drew out some blood. He then injected it into the blood sample vial.

"This will be tested for drugs and poisons. Whatever. You may be recovered before we get the results," he said. "I want you to stay in bed. You'll be safe here. I have posted a guard, Johnny J, who better not let us down again."

Elijah didn't say anything. The movement of Klaus' long tail caught his attention. It whipped back and forth like that of an angry cat. When Klaus walked away to the door, Elijah could see that the tail emerged from Klaus' pants right at the seam in the middle of the back. Of course. Where else would it be? As Klaus prepared to close the bedroom door, his tail raised up close to his back so that it didn't get caught in the door.

"You see his tail?" Elijah asked Hayley, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No. Do I still have wings?"

"Bigger than before. White, gold outlines on feathers."

"I'm no angel, Elijah. I'm a very pregnant lady werewolf in my human form. You know that." She was still holding one of his hands and she laid it against her bulging abdomen. The baby moved a little at the same time.

"Feel that?" she asked, smiling.

He could feel it and he smiled, too. A new Mikaelson. It was so incredible. "You'll be a good mother."

"I don't know. My life is such a mess. Can I take care of a helpless little baby?"

"Yes. You take care of me."

"That's different. You know what? When I was younger, I wanted to be a nurse or a veterinarian. I liked to nurse sick animals back to health. And I looked forward to getting married and having kids. Then, just before I started learning to drive a car, my father told me that I carried the werewolf gene. He said I had to be very careful driving because if I got into an accident and killed someone, I would active the trait. I was shocked. Neither of my parents had activated their trait. I guess my uncle had, but I didn't know that. Until then, werewolves were fictional characters to me."

"When did you turn?"

"I was nineteen. I was in a car accident. Someone hit my car and then my car hit a pedestrian. The man I hit died."

"Not your fault."

"I know, but it didn't matter. I killed someone and the trait was activated."

_A/N I don't remember if Hayley's background has been mentioned on the shows, so I made one up. Let me also say that the Vikings were not in Virginia a thousand years ago, but _The Vampire Diaries_ put them there. I hope you all liked this chapter. I'm working on the next one._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A sad expression came over Hayley's face as she remembered her first transformation. "My parents helped me when the full moon came. Chained me up. Stayed with me. Anyway, it changed my life, changed what I thought I could do with my life, what I thought I should do. There are things about my background that I don't understand."

"Still good person."

"Thanks." Hayley watched as Elijah closed his eyes. She thought he was drifting off to sleep, especially as his respirations slowed and almost ceased. She figured that he was not dying, just asleep. He was pale, but he didn't show any signs of being more dead than usual for a sleeping vampire.

After a few minutes she gave in to a desire to touch him. She gently laid her hand on his bare chest. He was not a hairy guy, although a smattering of dark hair ran across his chest and down the middle of his abdomen. He never did any weight-lifting workouts, but he had good muscles, not bulging, but well-defined.

Like Klaus, she thought_. Is Elijah anything like Klaus in bed_, she wondered. She and the blond brother had had one night together. It had been fun, exciting and rough. Klaus had pleased her, but he had really been more interested in his own pleasure. She tended to think that it was always a man's goal to please himself more than his partner, although getting the desired response from the lady was a point of pride for him. She also suspected that Elijah would spend more time seeing that his partner in sex was getting what she wanted. He just seemed like that sort of fellow. Maybe sometime she would find out.

She gently ran her hand down his firm abdomen to the waistband of his shorts. She was tempted to go farther, but she didn't. Her decision apparently was the right one, because he moved his hand and took hold of hers, moving it back up his body.

"Not now," he managed to say.

She was a bit embarrassed to realize he had not been as asleep as she had thought. But it became obvious that he was not annoyed with her when, without opening his eyes, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the knuckles. Then he turned the hand over so that his lips rested against her palm. She could feel his breath as he appeared to drift off again.

"I can do things. When you're ready," she whispered. Her thumb caressed his lips, which were so dry she thought they might crack and bleed if he really smiled. Instead, he raised one of his eyebrows and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Your lips are awfully dry. Do you have any lip balm or … um…lubricant?" she asked.

"Drawer," he murmured, turning his head slightly toward one of the two nightstands beside the bed.

She shifted her position and opened the small drawer. Yes, there was a tube of intimate lubricating jelly there. And a small box of condoms. She knew that as a vampire he was sterile and disease-free. On the other hand, if he took a human woman to his bed, she might have concerns about him or she might have a disease. Too bad she herself had not considered that Klaus was half werewolf and that he might not be sterile on the night of the full moon when she had joined him in bed.

She opened the tube, put some lubricant on her fingers and then spread it over Elijah's dry lips. He stuck out his tongue.

"You want some in your mouth? It's awfully dry too, isn't it?"

He nodded and she put a blob on his tongue. He then moved it around inside his mouth.

"Smells like oranges," she said. She put a little dab on her tongue. "Tastes like oranges. Your choice or someone else's?"

The corners of his mouth twitched again. Although his eyes seemed to be closed, she suspected that he was watching her through his lashes.

"Do I still have wings?" she asked, placing the tube on the table.

He opened his eyes and looked at her shoulders and sides. "Yes. Raise them."

"I can't, Elijah. They're in your imagination."

"Nevertheless, you just did. Very wide. Beautiful."

"I wish I could see them, too."

"I'd like to see how Niklaus gets his tail out the back of his pants."

"And just how do you suggest I get dressed or undressed with these big wings attached to my back?"

"Must be a way."

"Do you feel any better?"

"No nausea. Stomach hurts. Weak and shaky. Seeing things that you say are not there. Not well."

"I'm sorry this happened to you. It's my fault."

"How's it your fault?"

"I should have handled that vampire myself."

"No. Should not have. Danger to you and baby. I handled it."

"Yes, you did. Zip – off with his head." It was times like that which reminded her that he was a killer. The rest of the time he was so calm and gentlemanly.

He didn't respond to her comment. Instead, he gave a little moan and pressed on his upper abdomen.

"Are you going to be sick?"

"No. Just hurts. A spasm."

"There's no chance it's werewolf venom, is there?"

"No. Feels different."

"You'll just have to wait this out, I guess. Unless Klaus comes up with some antidote. Close your eyes and try to sleep." She brushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead.

"Stay?"

"I'll be here. I'll sit in the chair over there. There's a book on the table. What were you reading?"

"_Grady Nocturnis_. Young man not happy to be a vampire. Female teaching him how to survive."

"Okay. I'll read a little of it. Now, sleep!" When he closed his eyes, she walked into the bathroom to pick up soiled towels.

Elijah tried to follow her instructions, but he didn't succeed. The best he could do was lie quietly with his eyes closed and let his tense muscles relax. Now and then he could hear Hayley doing something in the bathroom. He hoped she wasn't trying to clean up the mess he had made on the floor. Soon, she came back into the bedroom and he knew she sat in his chair. He heard her turn a page in the book. It was comforting to know she was there and that she wanted to be there.

Comforting as it was, he couldn't figure out where their growing relationship was going to go. He had been attracted to her for quite some time, but now he knew she was also attracted to him. What would happen after she had the baby? Would his brother figure into the equation? Most likely Klaus would play a role as father of the child.

With these thoughts running around in his head, along with wisps of the Kansas City song, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Like most of the rooms in the house, the ceiling had bare beams. Here on the third floor, they were not very far above him, because the beams were only six and a half feet above the floor. It could have been worse; they could have been six feet above, making a tall man have to duck his head.

Being five feet, ten inches, Elijah did not have to duck. Niklaus, on the other hand, was an inch taller so that when he wore his boots, as he did today, his hair was just inches below the top of the doorframe and he tended to duck down a bit. It was a good thing because Elijah realized now that the big horns had silently touched the top of the door frame. The blond hybrid had not noticed apparently. That was odd.

Something moved on the ceiling. He was having a bit of trouble focusing, but he finally realized it was a spider. He wasn't afraid of spiders, but he didn't like them to touch him. They were skittery and always left a sticky strand of web behind them. He'd been bitten many times by truly poisonous ones. The bite hurt, but didn't harm him as a vampire. When he was a child, the bite of a black widow spider had made him quite ill, but that was eons ago.

He watched with mild fascination as the black, fuzzy spider made its way along a beam until it was over his chest. It began to let itself down on a silvery thread.

_That damned thing is going to land right on me_, Elijah thought. He raised his right hand, figuring the spider would see the movement and hasten back up to the ceiling. The creature came down farther, but then stopped. It looked at him with its multiple eyes and then its head seemed to enlarge and change. It soon had a tiny face that looked human. A wave of fear rippled though him as he saw that it looked like his father Mikael.

"Elijah. I have found you," the spider said in a tiny voice.

"No! You are figment my imagination!" His mouth was drying out again.

"Ha, ha. Am I?"

"Go away! I am ill. Hallu… luth…loo…"

"Speak up, boy. What's the matter with you? Do you need to use the loo?"

"No! I …"

"Cat got your tongue?"

"You not real."

"Me? I'm speaking to you, boy. You listen when I tell you something. Do you understand?"

Elijah couldn't answer. His mouth was too dry and sticking together despite the remains of the lubricant, which was now gummy.

"You answer me, boy, when I ask you a question. Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's better. Now, where…"

"Elijah, who are you talking to?" Hayley asked, coming to stand beside the bed with the book in her hand.

"Mikael."

"Mikael?"

"Father."

"He's not here. You're hallucinating."

"No, he is…"

"Spider! There's a spider right over you! I'll get it." Hayley swung the book at the spider which was making fast tracks up the strand of web. The book caught the creature and knocked it over the foot of the bed. Hayley, with as much agility as her condition allowed, sprang after it, finding it on the floor. As it tried to skitter away, she stepped on it. "It bit the dust. Literally," she told Original.

"Good for you," Elijah mumbled with mixed feeling. He wished it were that easy to get rid of Mikael's ghost.

"Were you talking to the spider?" Hayley asked, coming back to the side of the bed.

Elijah was tempted to say No, but he resisted. "Spider. Mikael."

"No, it wasn't. You are still hallucinating, Elijah. It was just a harmless spider, but I didn't want it crawling on you. And it certainly was not your father. From what I understand, your father is dead."

"Yes, but ..." How could he tell her that, dead or not, Mikael still haunted each of the siblings because of the memories and years of fear, which they each pretended was not there? The fact that a spider had assumed Mikael's face and voice in his imagination proved that.

_A/N Hope you liked that chapter. It was fun to write, except that I am afraid of spiders. The book he was reading is real, by the way. I'm working on the next chapter which I'll try to get ready in five or six days. Any comments or opinions?_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A_/N Well, here is another chapter. I hope you all like it._

"Do you want some water? Or more lubricant? Your mouth is so dry."

"Lub."

Hayley picked up the tube again and let a glob of it drop into Elijah's mouth. He moved it around with his tongue. Once again his breath smelled like oranges.

"Better. Mikael hunted us to kill us for centuries. Sometimes he found some of us, but didn't kill. Liked to torment more. Especially Niklaus." Elijah could not let go of the thoughts of his father.

"He must have been a terrible father."

"Not originally. Demanding, but good father, except to Niklaus," Elijah said, trying to carefully pronounce his words. "Very strict toward Rebekah as she matured. So pretty. Boys noticed. We were all protective of her. Not long after our little brother Henrik died, everything changed. Our mother decided to use a strong spell to make us vampires. She wanted to protect us from death. After a while she realized she had made a mistake and had created monsters. She programmed Father to hunt us down and kill us."

"She made a mistake and tried to correct it. That sounds right until you consider that her mistakes were her children," Hayley said.

"Yes. One of your wings is sagging! Is it injured?"

"No. I have no wings, Elijah. Remember that you are hallucinating."

"It looks injured," he said with a worried look on his pale face. He had stopped perspiring, but beads of sweat broke out on his forehead again. He pressed a hand to his stomach and groaned softly.

"Are you going to be sick again?"

"Don't know."

She laid a hand on his forehead, which had been damp and cold. Now it was hot.

"You have a fever! Maybe I should put cold water in the tub and you could cool down in it."

"Like when I put you in the swimming pool to cool you."

"Yes," she said, remembering. A witch's spell had been raising her temperature in an attempt to kill the baby. Elijah had held her in his arms in the cold water of the pool until the spell was cancelled, which was not long. He cared so much for her and the child. She knew it and she knew it was not just the baby. She was sure that somehow they would be intimate. Sooner or later.

"Do you want me to run the water?" she asked, sitting on the side of the bed again.

"No. Wait." He did feel hot, as if he were lying on a hot sandy beach with the sun beaming down at him. Actually, he had refrained from doing that since becoming a vampire. In his youth, back in the days when he could get a nice tan, he had liked the sun. Now, even though the sun didn't burn him, lying nearly naked on a beach or beside a pool did not appeal to him.

Besides, he was a bit old-fashioned and was shy about displaying his body in public, even though he had a good physique. He was not entirely comfortable lying on the bed in just his underwear in front of Hayley. On the other hand, if they decided to be intimate, he would be out of the shorts in a flash. Well, that was not going to happen. Certainly not as long as he was ill. Maybe never. No, he had to believe it would happen.

Hayley leaned forward and laid a hand on his forehead again. She brushed the damp hair back again. It seemed to want to flop forward when he moved his head. On an impulse, she leaned down and softly kissed his orange-tasting lips.

"Here I am weak as a kitten and you are taking unfair advantage of me," he whispered. "Something similar happened to the young man in that book."

"I haven't gotten to that part yet. I'm still on the first chapter. Should I continue to take advantage?"

"Please do."

When she kissed him again, he put one hand behind her neck so that she couldn't move away. Then he felt a stirring in his groin and let go of her neck.

"I may be weak, but not that weak. Better stop," he said gently pressing against her shoulder so that she sat up straight.

"Actually, doctors say it's alright for a very pregnant woman to have sex, Elijah," she said, while resisting looking at his shorts.

"And you want to do that?"

"I feel somewhat…um, you know…right now," Hayley admitted.

"Horny?" He couldn't keep a straight face and he grinned at her.

"Yeah. It must be your nearly-naked, sexy body lying here helpless."

"As I mentioned a moment ago, I may be weak, but I'm certainly not entirely helpless. And I may be confused and seeing things, but I don't believe I am imagining what you are suggesting."

"I'm quite serious."

"Niklaus would walk in on us. You know he would."

"I can lock the door."

"And you believe that would stop him? He'd force the door. No one bars my brother when he wants to enter. Except for a human's home, of course."

"He has no respect for your privacy," Hayley muttered with a frown.

"Not now, with me ill from poison."

As if on cue, Klaus opened the door and walked into the room, coming to the bedside opposite where Hayley sat.

Elijah raised an eyebrow as he and Hayley looked at each other_. Was I not right?_, his expression said.

"How does it go? Better?" the blond brother asked.

"No. Perhaps."

"He has a fever now," Hayley informed Klaus.

The younger brother leaned down and felt Elijah's forehead. "So it seems. Why do you smell of oranges?" He happened to glance at the bedside table and saw the tube of lubricant. He then looked closely at Elijah's lips, which showed traces of the jelly. "What the hell have you two been doing?"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Niklaus. My mouth was so dry I could not speak."

"One usually sips water to correct those circumstances."

"Wasn't enough."

Hayley, wondering if she had traces of lubricant on her lips, started to lick them with her tongue. Wanting to hide that from Klaus, she put her hand up and gently scratched her nose as if she had an itch.

Klaus, however, saw all this out of the corner of his eye. "And you had dry lips, too," he said to her, a smirk on his face.

Hayley was embarrassed, but she showed annoyance and glared at him. If she kissed Elijah, it was none of his business. "Nothing is going on," she said.

"And if there was, it would be none of my concern. I can read your expression, love. I am neither blind nor a fool. I know how my brother feels about you, how he has felt for some time. Quite fond, I would say. Very protective of you. And the baby, of course. I didn't realize you felt the same way."

"We have respect for each other," Hayley said, although it was a weak comment. She held her head high.

"Respect, is it?"

"Niklaus, enough," Elijah growled. He hated it when Klaus baited someone with his sarcasm and amused smile.

"Did I not tell you one time, brother, that you could have her if you so desired?"

"Shut up!" Elijah whispered through lips that were sticking together again. It made him angry that Klaus would say that right in front of Hayley, even though it was true.

"Touched a nerve, did I?"

"Leave us."

"No."

"Then don't. By the way, you lost a horn. Careless of you, Niklaus," Elijah said, hoping to change the subject.

Klaus reached up and felt his hair. He found nothing unusual, of course. "Which one? I certainly cannot tell."

"Left."

"Well, that is disturbing. I do so hate to be unbalanced. Ruins my image. How can I be an alpha male with one horn missing."

Elijah ignored his brother's snarky tone of voice. "Any news?"

"Not yet."

Hayley picked up the glass of water and offered it to Elijah. He took some, swished it around in his mouth and then swallowed.

"Thank you. Don't kill him, Niklaus. The father has already lost one son. Let's not take the other one."

"I cannot believe you do not want revenge. He **poisoned** you and you are suffering! Obviously, you are still hallucinating."

"Yes, I am. My thoughts and my feelings are confused," Elijah admitted.

Hayley wondered if the things he had said minutes before had led her to believe he cared when he didn't. No, he cared. She was sure of that. Even Klaus said so.

Elijah grimaced and pressed a hand to his abdomen. "Niklaus, help me into the bathroom. I am experiencing some cramping."

After Klaus half-carried Elijah into the bathroom and closed the door, Hayley folded down the bed's duvet so that the sick man would be lying on the bed sheet rather than the duvet. He had been sweating and the duvet cover would need washing.

She wondered if what Klaus had said was true. Had he really told Elijah he could have her if he wanted? Did Klaus really believe she was some chattel to be handed around? It was such an insult! But then again, what more could one expect from an individual like Klaus? He could behave as a gentleman, but underneath, he was crude.

What was of real importance was Elijah's behavior toward her. He was a real gentleman and treated her like a lady. In no way did he lay claim to her as if she had no say in the situation. Sure, he had initiated their first kiss, but he had read her willingness or the fact that she would not object. She didn't kid herself, she really liked the guy. A lot.

_A/N On to the next chapter. I'm thinking of keeping this going just in Elijah's bedroom. What do you all think?"_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hayley considered leaving Elijah's bedroom and going to her own room. There were snacks in her room because she was often a bit hungry, despite having regular meals. However, she decided not to leave the Original's room. Klaus would not stay with the sick man and yet someone should. Hayley was certainly willing to do that.

She sat down in the chair by the lamp and picked up the book again. After a minute, she realized that she had read the same page twice and didn't know what the words said. She couldn't concentrate while worrying about Elijah or thinking about her feelings for him. She put the book down and then stood up when Klaus came from the bathroom carrying his brother. She could see that Elijah was conscious, but his color was ashen and he was sweating again.

After putting the older brother on the bed, Klaus turned to Hayley. "Stay with him, love. He's very weak. I wish I knew what to give him to reverse this poison."

"I wish that, too."

"I'm going to see what progress has been made," Klaus said and he walked from the room, closing the door behind him.

Hayley leaned down on the bed and looked closely at Elijah's face. "Are you awake?" she asked.

He nodded slightly.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Cold," he murmured. His lips were so dry now that there was a crack that oozed a drop of blood. The tiny wound did not heal.

"You want something cold or is it that you are cold?"

"Me. Cold."

Hayley wished there were blankets that were already warm that she could put on him. An electric blanket would have been nice, but she didn't know if there was one in the house. Instead, she pulled up the duvet to cover him.

"Elijah, I'm going to get in bed with you so that my body heat can warm you a little," she said. He did not indicate that she should not, so she lifted the duvet and climbed onto the bed. She covered herself and then turned on her side and fitted her body against his side. It wasn't easy because the main part of her body to touch him was her bulging abdomen, but she also got one of her legs over his and an arm over his chest. Her clothing was thin and her body heat easily penetrated. As a werewolf, she actually had body heat somewhat greater than a normal human.

His skin was damp and icy, and he didn't smell very good either. Normally, vampires didn't mind either heat or cold. They normally didn't shiver or sweat. Elijah was sweating and Hayley could feel a slight shivering quiver in his muscles. She felt really sorry for him. On the other hand, she liked snuggling close to him.

"Baby move," he murmured.

"Yes, she's kicking a little," Hayley said.

"You warm. Feels good."

"Good. Maybe I can get the cook to warm some blankets in the oven. Want me to call her?"

"No. Don't need. You enough."

Hayley could barely understand his murmurings, but she got the point and stayed where she was. After about fifteen seconds his breathing ceased, as did his heartbeat. The reading lamp was still turned on and she could easily see him. She studied him and again saw that he was not going gray and leathery, so he was still "alive." Here she was snuggled in bed with the man she was very fond of, but the situation was not at all romantic. Maybe things would change when he was recovered.

It was not long afterward that there was a knock on the door. Hayley wondered who that was. Not Klaus, who would have walked in. Slowly, she eased out of the bed and went to the door. The person knocked again and said, "I have warmed blankets."

Hayley opened the door and found the maid Elise there. She lived in a room in the house and often stayed up late because of the activities on the premises. She was well-paid and the vampires were forbidden to bite her.

"Thank you, Elise," Hayley said, taking the three folded, but nicely warmed blankets. Apparently, Klaus had thought to ask the maid to warm them for his ill brother. Sometimes, Klaus surprised Hayley. She accepted the blankets and took them to the bed. After gently pulling the duvet from Elijah's body, she laid one of the blankets over him, leaving it folded in half so it wouldn't cool down too quickly. She laid a second on top of the first. The third one she kept aside. She then pulled the duvet up over the two blankets.

Elijah stirred, taking in a breath. He wrinkled his brow, but didn't open his eyes. One of his hands moved around under the covers as if searching for something.

"Hayley?" he whispered.

"I'm here. Try to rest, Elijah," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and laying the back of her fingers on his forehead. He was still cold.

"Warm," he murmured.

"Are you too warm?"

"No. Good." He seemed to settle down again and fell asleep.

Hayley eased off the bed. She looked at the ornate clock ticking softly on one of the nightstands. The hour was late. She knew she should get some sleep herself. First, she needed a visit to the bathroom. The baby took up a lot of room in her abdomen and pressed down on her bladder. She made more "pit stops" than she had in the past.

While she was in there she also neatened the room a bit. She picked up the suit pants, vest and jacket from the floor and laid them neatly over the edge of the tub. The shirt and sox went into the clothes hamper. Then she stared at her image in the mirror over the sink. She looked tired.

"We need our beauty sleep, little girl," she said to the baby as she laid a hand on her belly.

Going back into the bedroom, she looked at the chair with it's footstool and she looked at the bed. Which should she choose? The bed was easily big enough for two without bodily contact. She chose the bed, slipped off her shoes and eased herself down onto the duvet. Because of the baby, she was more comfortable on her side and she turned toward Elijah. The room was not chilly, so she lay there and made herself relax.

For a while she studied the side of his face, his profile, the arch of the one dark eyebrow that she could see, his long dark lashes lying against his pale skin, his dry lips, the dark stubble that was peeking through the pale skin of his jaw. His beard was slow-growing as was typical of male vampires. He didn't shave every day. She didn't know how often he cut his hair, but apparently it, too, was slow-growing. It was short and basically straight, but she could see that it would curl a little if let to grow longer. She liked his nose. All in all, she thought he was a handsome man.

Despite her worries about him, she was tired and she fell asleep. She was having some kind of dream where she did have wings and she was trying to fly, but the wings were too small and she couldn't get off the ground. Some soft noise woke her and for a moment she was not sure where she was. Then she realized she was looking at the side of Elijah's head. She had fallen asleep on the duvet on his bed. Her arm was still over his chest.

She also saw that Klaus was in the room, standing beside Elijah's side of the bed, but looking at her. He had a smile on his face, the one where you suspected he was laughing at you. She raised up on an elbow and looked at the man beside her. He seemed to still be asleep.

"He has warmed up a bit," Klaus said softly, laying the back of his fingers against his brother's forehead.

"Good. He was so cold." Hayley rolled onto her back in preparation for getting up. "I fell asleep. I should go to my own bed."

"Stay. Rest," Klaus said. "I am sure you are weary and it's very late. Do you have your cell phone?"

"No. It's in my room."

"I'll get it for you. Stay with him."

Hayley nodded and lay on her back with her head on the second pillow. She felt a little cool, since the room had cooled with the night air outside. When Klaus returned with her phone, which he put on the nightstand on her side, she asked him to hand her the third warmed blanket. He opened it up and covered her with it. A trace of warmth still remained inside the folds.

"Comfy?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Call me if he needs me. I'm going to rest for a while."

After he had gone and the closed door shut out the voices of the vampires out in the courtyard, Hayley lay thinking for a while. Lying in bed with Elijah, even under these circumstances, was no hardship for her. It would be so nice if they could openly have a relationship. But Elijah was wary and cautious. He had lost people he had been close to. She could wait. Soon, her eyes closed and she slept again.

She woke when someone moved in the bed. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying on her other side and facing a wall. An arm lay over her from behind and she had to assume it belonged to Elijah. Turning her head, she found him lying on his side, spooned against her back. The duvet and blankets were still between them. Was he deeply asleep or did he know he had his arm over her?

She could see that dawn's light was coming in the window as well as the French doors. The drapes were drawn, but there was light to either edge. She was still a bit weary, having had little sleep. Lack of sleep hadn't used to bother her, but it did more now with the advancement of the pregnancy. She was too awake to go back to sleep, so she moved carefully to ease out of bed. Elijah's arm tightened on her and she stopped moving.

"Are you awake?" she whispered. She couldn't see his face because it was tucked down against the back of her shoulders. However, she felt him nod his head slightly.

"Are you feeling better?"

He nodded slightly again. He also moved his arm, feeling, until his hand came to rest on one of her breasts. She was wearing a bra and shirt and still had the one blanket over her, but she could tell he knew what he was feeling. Her breasts had increased in size with the pregnancy and she had had to buy new bras. She laid her hand over his, feeling that his skin was cool, but not icy like it had been before.

Then he moved the hand higher on her chest until his fingers touched her throat. She couldn't keep herself from tensing up. When she had taken care of him in the shack on the bayou, when he had been hallucinating and sick from Klaus' werewolf bite, he had imagined that she was someone else. In fury, he had risen from his bed and grabbed her by the throat, intent on strangling whoever it was he was imagining. Luckily, someone else had come in and stopped him. Now, she almost gave in to the urge to yank his hand from her neck, fearing that it was happening again.

_A/N A little cliff hanger here. I know some people don't like to be left wondering, but it seemed like a good place to end this chapter. Will he hurt her? Is he dreaming? Is he really awake? Thanks to all of you reading this and my other stories. And thanks to "Jeremy Shane" for always reading and commenting._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

But it wasn't. He was not intent on choking her. His fingers gently caressed her skin, feeling along the edge of her jaw and then over her lips. She kissed his fingertips. He responded by gripping her jaw, but not too tightly. He mumbled and she suspected that he was envisioning her as a woman he had loved in the past. That wasn't very flattering to her, but it was better than his not touching her at all. Because he was lying behind her with his face against her neck, she couldn't even tell if he had his eyes open.

He wiggled his lower body up against hers, and despite the blankets and duvet between them, she could tell he was aroused. It was alright with her. She wanted to turn to him and get under the covers with him, but she didn't. She could hear him mumbling to himself again and she wasn't sure he was really awake. He definitely could be hallucinating again. She had to be careful. So she lay quietly while he thrust his hips weakly against her backside until he was quickly done. Then his hand dropped away from her face and he lay still. He had been breathing during his activity, but the breathing ceased. He was asleep.

This time Hayley was able to slowly get out of bed without waking him. She again headed for the bathroom, used the toilet and washed her hands at the sink. There, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and she had bags under her eyes. The fabric of the pillow case had put a crease in her cheek. Her shirt and slacks looked like they had been slept in.

"I feel pretty. Oh, so pretty," she softly sang in a sarcastic tone. To the baby she said, "Mama doesn't look her best this morning, sweetheart." The infant wiggled around in her confined place and changed position, making lumps and bumps on her mother's abdomen.

Because she was an activated werewolf and led a chaotic life, she had neither expected to marry nor to have children. Now here she was still not married, but soon to have a child. And the poor child was a hybrid like the father, which meant it could be a danger to some and a source of power to others, like Klaus. How could the babe be protected?

Hungry and feeling in need of a shower, Hayley went back to the bedroom. She quietly picked up her phone and her shoes and left the room without waking Elijah. Out on the gallery she stopped and looked around. The morning air was a bit chilly and damp. The day was brightening, although the sun had not come up yet. Down in the courtyard, nothing stirred. The night stalkers had gone to bed and the day walkers were not out and about at the moment, probably eating breakfast. The aroma of food was in the air.

The only person Hayley was aware of was her guard. A hefty African American man sat nearby on the railing of the gallery. It was not Johnny J, who had been there through the night, and Hayley didn't know this one's name. She ignored him and he watched her in silence. She had no idea what he was thinking. Did he resent guarding a werewolf? Did he think her blood might be tasty for breakfast? Did he think he would like sex with her, despite her pregnancy? His face was expressionless, but was he afraid of her because of her bite? Did he think about killing her?

She had never bitten a vampire while she was in human form. She wasn't even sure her saliva was deadly to one when she was in human form. Even the night she and Klaus had been together, they had refrained from biting.

She put a call though to Klaus on her phone. He answered in a moment.

"I want to go to my room and shower and change clothes. Elijah is asleep. He seems better. Neither sweating or icy or feverish. And I'm starving."

"Alright, love. Go ahead. Tell Hawk to stay by Elijah's door. I'll send Ann up to guard you. Let her check your room before you go in there."

"Aren't you being overcautious?"

"No. Do as I say."

"Fine. Hawk, Klaus says stay by Elijah's door." The vampire gave a slight nod. He had been able to hear both sides of the phone conversation.

About fifteen minutes after Hayley left Elijah's room, he woke up. He was still lying on his side and he stared at the ornately-framed painting on the wall beyond the nightstand. It was of Paris. He had always liked Paris.

He could smell where Hayley had been lying next to him. He felt the bed and it had cooled. She had been gone for some time. His felt his thought processes were more rational now, but he was confused about what had happened during the night. Hallucinations and dreams had haunted him.

His mouth was stuck together. The flavor of the lubricating jelly was still there, but the jelly had dried to gum. There was a glass of water on the nightstand and he reached for it, taking a sip and then a swallow. Much of the gumminess dissolved. He became aware of a damp spot in the bed and he lifted the covers to look. Not urine. The other bodily fluid which contained no sperm. Had that come about during a dream or had he and Hayley been doing something? Embarrassment washed over him as he rolled over onto his back. What if he had taken advantage of her? Even if she had been eager, he knew he shouldn't have done whatever they had done. On the other hand, maybe she had taken advantage of him in his weakened state! Would she do that? Where was she now?

Deciding to test his strength and balance, he threw back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The room was lit by the reading lamp and by the daylight coming in around the drapes. Sitting there on the bed he felt a little dizzy, but it wasn't bad. He had no nausea. No odd thoughts raced through his mind. He wondered if Hayley's wings and Klaus' horns were still there. If his mind was clear, those hallucinations should be gone.

He stood up cautiously and didn't fall over. Good. He went to his dresser and found clean underwear. Then he headed for the bathroom. A mild wave of vertigo made him grasp the door frame until it passed in a moment. With caution, he successfully took a shower, ridding his hair and skin of the smell of the sweat of illness and poison. After drying off, he carefully brushed his teeth and used mouthwash. He combed his hair. He didn't shave. Once, when he glanced into the mirror, he thought he saw deer antlers on his head, but then they were gone. That was disturbing.

Going into the bedroom, he went to his closet. Although he was very comfortable dressing in a suit and tie, he was also fairly comfortable in casual clothes, especially at home. He pulled on jeans and a navy blue polo shirt. After that, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on a pair of socks while he tried to figure out just how he felt. He had to admit that he was not completely recovered. Momentary vertigo made his surroundings shift. It was disorienting. It was also annoying because he was not in complete control of himself. He had had to accept that fact while he had been quite ill and hallucinating, but now he felt recovered, and yet was not. How long was it going to take?

He was about to leave the room when the door opened and Klaus walked in.

"Ah. Up and about, I see. Feeling better, I assume," the younger brother said cheerfully and with a genuine smile.

"Satisfactory," Elijah agreed. "Hungry."

"I'm sure. By the way, do I still have horns?"

Elijah looked at the short, dark blond hair. "Not a one."

"Good. Come on and get some breakfast. Hayley is already downstairs eating."

Outside the door, on the gallery, they met Elise. Elijah asked her to change his bedding since he had been sweating heavily while ill. She nodded. In fact, she had her maid's cart full of linens and bathroom supplies.

As the brothers walked along the gallery toward the stairs, Elijah stopped suddenly due to dizziness. He grabbed onto a nearby railing.

"Whoa!" Klaus said, grasping his brother's arm.

"Vertigo. It comes and goes," Elijah explained as he felt the sensation pass.

"So, not all your symptoms have passed."

"Not yet."

They were able to get down the stairs to the level where the dining room was located. Hayley was sitting at the table eating an assortment of foods the cook had made available.

"You're up, Elijah," she said with a welcoming smile.

He smiled back at her and decided that whatever had happened in the bed had not made her upset with him. That was good. He took his usual seat and eyed the bowls and platters of food on the table. Many aromas wafted up from them. They should have been pleasant and encouraged appetite, but suddenly they smelled bad to him.

_It has to be a delusion_, he thought. _The food can't really be bad or Hayley wouldn't be enjoying it. The smell must be part of my illness._

"Do dig in," Klaus encouraged. He sat in his own chair and poured himself some fresh coffee. He had already eaten all the food he wanted.

"My sense of smell must be off," Elijah said. "Everything smells bad."

"What do you mean?" Hayley asked. "The food is delicious. I was so hungry."

"It smells spoiled. Very," Elijah insisted, wrinkling his nose.

"Nonsense, brother. The food is delicious. Ignore how you think it smells," Klaus said.

"I'm afraid I cannot," Elijah insisted. A wave of nausea swept through him and he swallowed several times to ease it. He was upset and disappointed that he was not fully recovered from the poison. He glanced at his brother and then did a double-take. Now he stared at Klaus. He had horns again, but this time they were slender and very long, growing out of the back of his head and heading down his back.

"What?" Klaus asked. "Don't tell me I have horns again."

"Yes. Long and slender. Those of a gemsbok, I believe," Elijah informed him.

"What's a gemsbok?" Hayley asked. She saw no horns on the blond Original.

"An African antelope," Elijah told her. "The horns are long, slender and mostly straight."

"The better to impale you with," Klaus said with a snort. He picked up a slice of bacon and nibbled on it.

"I failed to see the humor, Niklaus. I had hoped to see you dehorned this morning and you were, briefly."

"I would rather have those of a greater kudu, the ones with the magnificently spiraled horns," Klaus said, envisioning the big antelope, whose large horns spiraled out behind the head. Something appropriate for a man of his standing.

"Well, brother, you have those of a gemsbok. Be satisfied with them. This is an inane conversation, since we have to assume I am hallucinating."

"What about me?" Hayley asked. "I mean the wings."

Elijah was hesitant to look at her again. He didn't want to see wings on her, but he finally looked. At first he didn't see them, but then he did. They were tucked tightly to her shoulders and behind her back, probably ending around her buttocks and the seat of her chair. Unlike angel wings, these looked more like those of a bird, a big one like a swan, perhaps.

"Yes. Different from last night. A swan's wing, I suppose."

"I had hoped your hallucinations would be gone this morning," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize! It is not your fault," Elijah muttered, irritated. Or maybe it was her fault! He suddenly felt that the two people were laughing at him and had deliberately put foul food before him. Why were they doing that? He felt threatened, even though neither Hayley nor Klaus was doing anything other than talking and eating.

He stood up from his chair so abruptly that the chair fell over. Almost beyond his control, his eyes and face changed and his fangs came down. He looked at Hayley who had an astounded expression on her face. Her wings rose and came toward him. There seemed to be a claw at the "wrist" of each wing. She was attacking him!

_A/N Poor Elijah. He doesn't know what is real. Hope you liked this chapter. More to come._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

In a flash, Klaus was over the table and in a position between Elijah and the woman.

"Hayley, leave the room! Now!" Klaus barked. "Elijah, get control of yourself. There is no danger here!" He could see that his brother did indeed perceive danger.

However, Elijah saw that Klaus' horns had risen and were curving over his head and toward him. Each tip assumed the appearance of the white oak stake with the metal entwined around it, the stake his mother had charmed to kill Originals. He snarled at Klaus and charged at him. Reaching for the horns, he hoped to push them aside, and yet his grasp somehow missed them and he collided with his brother.

Klaus had no weapon except his teeth, and he refused to bite his brother again. And he had no stake or dagger immediately in hand. Instead, with considerable force, he grabbed his sibling's head and yanked it to one side, twisting the neck violently. He heard the crunch of bones and knew the straining of nerves. With Elijah's neck broken, the older brother would be unconscious in the floor for a while, but not long. Originals recovered from such an injury faster than did normal vampires.

Elijah's fangs had opened a wound on Klaus' arm as his head was turned and now Klaus wrapped a napkin around it until, in moments, it stopped bleeding and healed.

"What happened to him?" Hayley asked from the doorway. She had headed out, but had not gone far. Instead, she had turned to watch and had seen what Klaus had done.

"I don't know, love. He's still under the influence of the poison. It has been twelve hours since he ate the poisoned food. It could take another twelve hours for it to clear his system. I wish we had the antidote."

"What about blood? Could human blood help him? What about your blood?"

"I don't know. I don't dare let him bite anyone right now. He would rip out their throat."

Hayley was surprised that Klaus even cared. Then she realized that it was Elijah who would care and feel guilty about it if it was some innocent person. Elijah didn't need guilt heaped on his already-unstable mental condition.

Klaus considered going to his room where he kept one of the daggers, but he didn't think he had time. Elijah's head was already turning imperceptibly as the neck bones realigned. He would wake quickly. Perhaps Original blood would help. He knelt beside his brother and bit into his own wrist, which had been bleeding moments before. He held the wound to Elijah's lips so that the blood trickled into his mouth.

Elijah tasted the blood and it had an odd flavor, but it wasn't bad. He swallowed and felt its effect disperse quickly throughout his body. He opened his eyes and saw Klaus hovering over him. Alarmed and confused, he stared up at his brother and asked, "What happened?" A soreness in his neck told him that his neck had been broken, but he didn't recall it happening or why. He licked his lips, tasting Klaus' blood.

"You went berserk. How do you feel now?"

"Aside from a sore neck, I believe I'm alright," Elijah said as he struggled to sit up, kneading the back of his neck with one hand. Looking around, he didn't see Hayley. "Where is Hayley? I didn't hurt her, did I?"

"No, but we feared you might. Something about her imagined appearance must have threatened you. You were hallucinating strongly, I believe. Do you see horns on me now?"

"No. We were talking about gemsbok horns. I remember that. And the food smelled rotten."

When Klaus offered him a hand up, he got to his feet and looked at the food on the table. Sniffing, he didn't smell anything rotten now, but neither did the food smell inviting. Movement at the door caught his eye and he saw that Hayley was standing there looking concerned. In fact, he thought she looked ready to bolt away if he moved toward her. It made him feel bad that he had frightened her, and not for the first time.

"Hayley, I apologize for my behavior. Please forgive me."

She gave a small nod.

"I see that your swan wings have gone. I hope that's a good sign. My situation is very distressing."

"Are you still hungry?" Klaus asked, very alert in case Elijah went on the attack again.

"I don't think I can eat the food, but I am most certainly hungry."

"Blood, then?"

"Perhaps that would be best."

"Vampire blood. I'll get someone from downstairs. Try not to cause much damage."

Hayley started to move into the room, but Klaus blocked her way and they went out to the gallery together. From there, Klaus summoned one of the females from the courtyard. The dark-haired woman came up the stairs and approached.

"Gina, I want you to let Elijah feed from you. He needs sustenance. He won't damage you." He took her into the dining room where Elijah was still standing in the same spot, looking concerned. Almost immediately, Elijah's fangs came down in anticipation.

"Bite, don't rip," Klaus ordered. He could see the alarmed look on Gina's face, but the woman said nothing. She stood still as Elijah moved in a blur to her and grabbed her to him. He went for the carotid artery at the side of her neck and drove in the fangs. The woman gave a little cry, but then moaned softly. There could be sexual pleasure involved when feeding was taking place, even for the one being fed upon and certainly for the vampire.

Hayley stood in the doorway and watched. She felt a twinge of jealousy. She didn't want Elijah feeding from her, but she wished he would take her in his arms and hold her as close as he was Gina. She could see the glow of his eyes and the dark veins on his face. He was not handsome while in vampire mode. And a vampire sating a consuming hunger was an animal. Of course, she knew what it was like to be an animal. As such, she had attacked in anger more than once. And she had hunted with a pack to bring down an animal, such as a deer, upon which to feed. She didn't hold it against Elijah that he was what he was. But she could do without his hallucinations.

Klaus finally stepped forward. "Enough, Elijah. I told her you wouldn't overdo it. Stop." He pushed on Elijah's forehead, forcing the older brother to withdraw his fangs, although such a movement could have made the fangs rip the neck flesh. Elijah made a small frustrated noise.

"Don't whine," Klaus admonished.

With blood trickling down his chin, Elijah still held the female firmly against his body. He looked at her for a moment and then let go of her. She was too dazed to stand and collapsed on his shoes.

"I do not whine," he stated firmly.

"Uh huh. So, brother, did the blood taste alright?"

Elijah ran his tongue over his lips to remove the blood. He also reached for a handkerchief to wipe his chin, but he didn't have one. Klaus handed him a napkin from the table.

"It had a normal vampire taste. That was a relief," Elijah admitted as he cleaned his chin and a spot running down the front of his neck. He tended not to be a messy feeder. Normally, he also cleaned the wound he had made on the victim by licking it, but he had not this time.

Gina made a small sound and raised her head. She saw the two men standing near her and she touched the side of her neck. Elijah bent down and handed her the napkin he had used. She pressed it to her skin and it came away bloody, although the puncture wounds had sealed themselves.

"Thank you, Gina," Klaus said. "Now, go clean yourself up." He watched her get to her feet and walk to the door where Hayley stepped aside to let her pass.

"How do you really feel?" the blond brother asked.

"I'm not sure. No longer hungry, but I am still off balance somehow," Elijah admitted. He moved to where his chair lay overturned on the floor and he bent down to right it. Again, a slight wave of vertigo passed through him. He sat down on the chair and leaned his elbows on the table, resting his head on his hands.

"We must be patient," Klaus said, briefly laying a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Elijah raised his head and sat upright. "Easy for you to say, Niklaus. I am not in control of myself and that is most alarming."

"This is all my fault," Hayley said, taking her seat at the table. "I shouldn't have come into the Quarter. No werewolves are allowed in the Quarter."

"It is not your fault!" Elijah was quick to say. "I am to blame. I should have broken the neck of your attacker rather than beheading him."

"You are here under my protection, love," Klaus insisted. "You have a right to be here, regardless of Marcel's previous rule."

"May I point out that this was a protection that didn't work as proven by the fact that Hayley was accosted," the older brother said in an irritable tone.

"No need to state the obvious. There was a breakdown in communication. What happened, happened," Klaus said.

"I should leave," Elijah said grimly. "Stay somewhere else. I fear I am a danger to Hayley when I am not myself. I can see the alarm in her eyes."

"I admit you scare me a bit when you look at me and I know I somehow look threatening," Hayley said. "I don't want you to leave on account of me."

"What is more important is that you get well, Elijah," Klaus added. "I'd rather you were here where we can keep an eye on you. But I suggest, Hayley, that you not spend time alone with my brother. One never knows when he will attack."

"I feel ashamed," Elijah groaned, staring down at his hands resting in his lap. The last thing he wanted was to be a danger to this young woman that he cared so much about.

"Don't," Hayley said and she reached out and gave his arm a squeeze. She quickly removed her hand, however.

Hoping to change the subject somewhat, the older brother asked, "What have you found out about the man's kin in the Rigolets?"

"It's over."

"Meaning?"

"It seems the father and son went out fishing and their boat sank. Tragically, both men drowned," Klaus said with a shrug. He picked up a piece of toast and smeared jam on it.

Elijah and Hayley stared at him for a long moment.

"What?" the hybrid asked in all innocence. "These things happen to fishermen sometimes. Lost at sea and all that."

Elijah rubbed his forehead. There was nothing to say to change things. He stared at the platters of food on the table. None of it looked good to him. It didn't matter; he had had enough nourishment for the time being.

Klaus' phone rang and he looked at the caller's name. He then excused himself and left the room, despite what he had said about Hayley being alone with his brother.

Hayley and Elijah looked at each other. For a moment there was awkward silence.

"Did anything inappropriate happen a while ago? In my room? I mean, did I …"

"Nothing happened, Elijah."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Otherwise, I would get up and smack your face," she said, and then grinned. "Or maybe give you a kiss if we had fun."

He didn't quite know how to interpret her words, but he let it go. At least she was not at all angry or disgusted with him. And her fear of a few moments ago had gone. That was a relief. He let a little smile touch his own lips.

_A/N Working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading, guys._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_A/N Here we go with another chapter. This one has definite sexual references. Elijah is not yet free of seeing horns and wings._

They sat at the dining room table for a minute in silence. Then a slight frown came to Hayley's face and she looked at Elijah. "Here I sit in all this comfort, while my family is out there in the swamp," she said with a sigh. "It doesn't seem right."

"They seem to be alright. As long as neither Klaus nor Marcel send any vampires out there. You call them your family, but you also had parents. Were they part of that pack?"

"No. They didn't seem to be, but then, they didn't associate with a pack. The couple who raised me had adopted me. They knew what I was, and they carried the trait themselves, but they had never transformed. They died a few months after they told me what I was and helped me, but they never got around to telling me about the pack or about my real parents. The pack here is the closest to family I have. It contains members of the Crescent Wolf line, which I belong to biologically."

"Having family is important, even if they are not wonderful people. I try to love my siblings, try as they might to make themselves unlovable," Elijah admitted.

"I heard that," Klaus said, coming back into the room. "I don't know why you even try sometimes."

"As I said, family is important. It is to me and I know it is to you, Niklaus."

"How do you figure that? I mean, since I seem to dagger family members regularly."

"Dagger and then keep. You have kept all members, except Father, safe down through the centuries. Why? Because they are family and you care."

"In some obscure way, I do care, I admit. But I have failed Finn and Kol. We have lost them after all my efforts."

"It was not your failure. It was theirs. Mother's also. It saddens me that she felt as she did about us. Her determination to destroy us led to her demise," Elijah admitted.

"Now, on the other hand, we can rejoice in the fact that Mikael is also gone," Klaus said with an evil smile. "Let us face it, brother, our family was and is seriously flawed. Totally dysfunctional."

"Damn!" Elijah muttered, looking at Klaus.

"What?"

"You have horns again."

"I may have to lock you up."

"Perhaps."

"We'll see. What kind of horns do I have this time?"

"Antlers, actually. Elk, I believe. Try not to hit the chandelier."

"Do I have wings again?" Hayley asked, hoping that she didn't again appear dangerous to him.

The older brother hesitated a moment before looking at the woman. He feared his reaction. He felt relief when he glanced at her and saw the beautiful wings again. "Lovely wings." He gave her a smile. "Angel wings."

To Klaus he asked, "Is it possible some witch's spell is making me see these things rather than the poison being the cause? Back in Mystic Falls, Silas and a witch made you hallucinate."

"It's possible, I suppose," Klaus agreed. "Perhaps Davina could tell."

"A spell was my first guess when this started," Elijah thought aloud. "Then we switched to believing it was poison. Now, it seems possible that my first guess was correct also."

"Likely, it is both. A coincidence, perhaps."

"The witches are not supposed to practice their art in the Quarter," Hayley pointed out.

"But it has been done," Klaus said, nodding. "If we are finished with our meal, I would like you to retire to your room, Elijah. Hayley, either go to your room or downstairs with someone you choose. Until my brother is free of dangerous hallucinations, I would rather you not be alone with him. I'm going to talk to our personal little witch."

"Where is Davina, anyway?" Hayley asked. "I thought she was supposed to stay around here."

"She has gone out and about despite my orders that she remain here. She is not a very obedient girl," Klaus said.

"Be careful, Niklaus, she may be young, but she is a very powerful witch, as we well know," Elijah warned. At one point Davina had become really angry with the vampire brothers and she had made them collapse in pain on the ground. Elijah had vomited gouts of blood, a disgusting situation for him. Davina was to be handled with care.

"Could she be the cause of Elijah's problem?" Hayley asked the two men.

"I don't believe so, unless she is angry with me again," Elijah said. "She and I did get alone fairly well in the past." The girl had guarded his coffin when he had been kept in the attic of the church. She had set him free by pulling out the dagger. They had talked quite a bit and he had continued to stay there for a while. Still, at that time he knew she was dangerous and clever, as she hid from Marcel and Klaus the fact that he was free of the dagger and coffin.

"Who knows what the girl thinks?" Klaus muttered. "Please retire to your room, brother."

Elijah didn't like the fact that he could not be trusted. He also knew that Klaus could not easily confine him to his room nor anywhere else, other than by daggering him and putting him in the coffin again. Like Klaus himself, once in actual vampire mode, he was very strong and could escape most confinements.

"I have a book to read," he said, standing up. "Why not post a guard by my room who can at least sound an alarm if I come out rampaging."

"Good idea," Klaus agreed. It became obvious, when he accompanied Elijah, that he didn't trust his brother to go to his room. He even watched him sit down in his comfortable chair and pick up the vampire book.

"I feel alright for now," the older brother said. "Please go. I don't need you hovering over me like this."

"Do try not to hurt anyone while I am gone," Klaus said, turning and walking out the door.

Elijah noted that the antlers scraped the door frame and Klaus didn't seem to notice. _Of course he doesn't notice. They are not really there_, he told himself. With the door closed, he was alone with his thoughts. He didn't really want to be alone because he couldn't trust those thoughts.

Instead, he tried to read and to concentrate on the story of the female vampire trying to teach the new young one the tricks of the trade, so to speak. One thing he noticed in the book was that, while he himself could enjoy the normal sex act, the vampires in the book had to take a different approach. How odd, he thought, that the author had made that choice. Then his thoughts went to Hayley and how much he would like to practice different sex acts with her. Unless he misunderstood her hints, she was willing. What she had said ran through his mind over and over, and he tried to answer the question – should they or shouldn't they?

Elijah was moderately sexually active. It depended on who he was with and if the mood was conducive to such activity. He would not force himself on anyone sexually, since he was not a rapist. While his preference definitely leaned toward the females, in his centuries of existence, he had also been intimate with males. It was not uncommon for long-lived, healthy vampires to have same-sex encounters.

However, the individuals that he had actually fallen in love with were all females, from the crush he had had on a girl in his teen years to Tatia, (whom he had vied with Klaus for her attention and who had proven to be a Petrova,) to Katherine Petrova, (also of interest to Klaus,) to much-loved Celeste (dead two hundred years and not a Petrova). He had even been drawn to Elena Gilbert (who looked like Katherine because she was a Petrova descendant), and now to the spirited Hayley (apparently not a Petrova.) In between these important women, there had been uncounted females.

Of the four brothers, he and Finn had each always kept sexual liaisons to themselves, neither of them being ones to boast. On the other hand, Klaus and Kol were always ready to enthusiastically tell of their exploits with whomever. Kol was dead and on the other side. He had probably found a way to have some fun over there, too. It would not surprise Elijah to find this out.

He knew that his chance of having a long-lasting relationship was limited by the fact that, unless she was a vampire, any women he came to love died off. Even female vampires often died a real death. Finn and his beloved Sage were both gone. Elijah had long ago adjusted his thinking to believe that he would never have a permanent companion. At this point, Klaus and Rebekah, the remnants of his family, were the only loved ones still around.

And now there were Hayley and the baby girl on the way. Surely the baby carried the werewolf trait from her mother. Surely she would not be a vampire unless someone turned her. Would Klaus do something like that? Although the hybrid brother had initially rejected the idea of being a father, he had changed his mind by now. The idea of fatherhood had grown in his mind. Also in his heart? Lastly, would the baby be a hybrid? The consensus was yes.

Restless from thinking all these familial and sexual thoughts, he walked to the door and opened it. The hefty vampire Hawk was sitting on the gallery railing and turned watchful eyes on him. Hawk could not stop him from leaving if he really wanted to, but he could sound an alarm.

"You be needing to go somewhere?" the day walker asked.

"Not far. Walk with me to the end of the gallery so I can look out on the street," Elijah said. He didn't particularly want to give Hawk a hard time. The two of them went to the French doorway that opened onto one of the wrought iron galleries, or balconies, for which the French Quarter was famous. They were on the third floor with another fancy iron gallery below them providing a cover for the sidewalk on the street level. There were no crowds of people yet, but there was some activity on the street. The sun was shining, but it didn't bother either of the vampires. Early as it was in the day, music still came from one of the places where the doors stood open.

"I remember when the sidewalk paving stones were so uneven one had to walk carefully," Elijah said. "In fact, I recall when the sidewalks were wooden and muddy."

"It all modern now with good sidewalks. Don't want to be tripping up no tourists and them turning around and suing the city," Hawk said with a chuckle.

"That's true," Elijah said. He glanced at Hawk, who had neither horns nor wings, and wondered if the effect of the poison or the spell was wearing off. That would be nice. However, he still didn't trust himself.

Two women crossed the street, stopping in the middle because there was no vehicular traffic at the moment. They studied the building and they soon spotted the two men outside the third floor leaning their elbows on the railing.

"Hi, there," one of them said with a smile and a small wave.

"Hello. Nice morning," Elijah said, producing a small smile himself. He thought the women were tourists. One of them held a camera.

"Is this house yours?" the second woman asked.

"Yes."

"The ironwork of the balconies is beautiful. Do you have to paint it?" the first one asked.

"Not I personally," Elijah said and he gave them a real smile. For a moment he envisioned sipping blood from one of them.

"May we take a picture or two?"

"Be my guest." Neither he nor Hawk moved as the women took photographs, one with the camera and one with her cell phone.

In a low voice, Hawk said to Elijah, "My lady say I very photogenic. She take lots of pictures of me. Even naked."

"Was she naked or you ?" Elijah asked as he turned back toward the door. He wondered if the pictures were posted on line. He thought people should not do that.

"Both of us," Hawk laughed, following the Original.

Elijah was well aware that many of the various vampires, especially the day walkers, did not hang around the compound all the time. Some of them actually had families, lovers, human friends, jobs and hobbies, all of which they found time for when things were quiet. Despite the conflicts that seemed to center around Klaus and a few others, there was plenty of "down time." They all carried phones and could be summoned at any time.

Klaus came up the stairs and stopped in front of them. "Davina is here to talk to you. She said there was a brief time today when a witch was doing a spell, but then it stopped."

"When I saw the elk antlers?"

"Perhaps."

A sudden feeling flooded through Elijah that disconcerted him. "I can't see Davina right now."

"Why not?" Klaus demanded, frowning.

"I am feeling very … um … horny, all of a sudden," Elijah admitted with some embarrassment.

Klaus' eyes roved over his brother. "Oh, dear," he said. The words conveyed sympathy, but the expression on his face showed he found the situation comical.

"Don't laugh at me, Niklaus! This is not amusing."

Hawk, standing behind Elijah, didn't see the problem. He kept his place.

"Get in your room, brother. I'll bring Davina. If this is the work of a witch, now is the time for her to sense it. Go!"

_A/N I've already got some of the next chapter written. I hope you liked this one. I really would like a couple of reviews so I know I'm writing okay. If you don't like what I wrote, go ahead and tell me._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_A/N Elijah has a problem. Can Davina do anything about it? Warning: her solution is a bit unusual. Hope you all don't mind._

The voices of Klaus and Davina floated up from down in the court as Elijah strode to his room, followed by Hawk, who did not enter. Elijah usually read the morning Times Picayune newspaper in his room, and he now grabbed up the day's edition, brought there by Elise. He sat down in his reading chair and put the newspaper over his lap, covering his unwanted arousal.

In a minute Klaus opened the door, stood back as a gentleman, and let Davina enter the room. Elijah could see that she did not look pleased to see him. She had been held in captivity because she was of value to Marcel and to Klaus, but now she was free. She harbored some ill will toward the brothers. In fact, toward just about everyone.

"Still have a problem?" Klaus asked.

"Yes."

"Right now we think there is a witch casting a spell, Davina. Do you sense it?"

"Yes," the girl said as flashes from the other witch came to her brain. She winced as she eyed the older brother. "It is aimed at you. What is she doing to you?"

Davina was young, fifteen or sixteen. She had a boyfriend. Maybe she was sexually active or perhaps not. Elijah didn't know, but he was embarrassed to reveal his problem.

"Do not be a prude, Elijah," Klaus ordered. "Show her."

The embarrassed man finally moved the newspaper. He was clothed, but his full arousal was obvious. Davina looked and she blushed slightly. She closed her eyes and Elijah was not sure why. Could she not bear to look at him? Then she made her hands into fists and raised them. Her face, with her eyes still closed, had a look of concentration and grim determination. He hoped she was doing some sort of counter-spell.

Whatever she was doing seemed to worked so that the arousal was suddenly going away. His "horny" feeling was gone. That was a relief.

"That was quick," he said. "Can you tell who was doing it?"

"Not one of our local witches. Someone new to the city," Davina said, shaking her head. "I don't know where she is. Can I go now?"

"I would rather you stayed in the compound," Klaus said. "It is safer for you here. There are those who still want you to be sacrificed."

"I don't intend to cooperate with any sacrifice," the girl snapped. "I am meeting someone for shopping and lunch."

"Who?" Klaus asked.

"No one you need to worry about. A girl I know from school. A plain, ordinary, normal girl," Davina said, rolling her eyes, and she headed for the door.

Klaus didn't try to stop her. Instead, he looked at his brother. "Is the other witch doing anything that you can feel?"

"No. Nothing," Elijah said and he stood up. He then lost consciousness, collapsing against his brother.

"Damn it! Davina!" Klaus yelled as he lowered Elijah to the floor. The girl had stopped just outside the door.

"What?" she demanded, turning around. Then she saw Elijah on the floor and she looked alarmed.

"Did you do this?" Klaus demanded.

Anger washed over Davina. "Me? Why would I do that? Why do you always blame me? It's not fair! Everyone blames me. Or they keep me shut up somewhere so they can use me! Or they lie to me! It's not right!"

Klaus could see she was furious. She sounded like any angry teenager, but she had a lot of power and poor control over it, especially when she was angry. A small tremor ran through the building. He thought apologizing might be the wiser thing to do at this point.

"I apologize, Davina. I am sorry. I don't know why I thought you might turn on my brother. Did you sense the other witch again?"

"I wouldn't tell you if I did! I'm tired of this! I hate you and I hate this place!" the girl shouted. "I'm leaving!"

Klaus heard her stomp along the gallery and down the stairs. He was upset, too, but he decided that he didn't want to bring her wrath down on his head.

"Elijah?" he said as he knelt by the still form. Not surprisingly, there were no respirations, no heartbeat. The dark eyes were half open and Elijah looked dead. He was not, of course. Not totally. "Elijah, do you hear me? Wake up, damn it."

Hayley appeared at the open door and saw Klaus kneeling on the floor. "What's going on? I saw Davina storming out. What's wrong with Elijah now?"

"He seemed fine and then he passed out."

"Did Davina do something? I heard her yelling."

"She undid a spell that was affecting him and he seemed normal for a couple of minutes. She was yelling because I foolishly asked if she had caused this. Apparently, she had not and felt seriously affronted."

"That's no surprise if she didn't do it.," Hayley said, kneeling beside Klaus. She reached out and touched Elijah's forehead. "He has no fever. He's not sweating."

"He's also not conscious," Klaus pointed out. "I am so damned frustrated not knowing who is doing this. Or why. Well, I might as well put him on his bed." He managed to heft the unresponsive man up off the floor and then laid him on the bed. He stood beside the bed just staring at his brother.

"I'll stay with him if you want me to," Hayley offered.

Not knowing what else to do, Klaus nodded. He then turned and left the room, many thoughts running through his head.

Hayley also stood by the bed for a couple of minutes, her eyes roving over the man she was coming to love. Was it really love? She wasn't sure. She had never felt what she thought was a really strong love, so she wasn't sure. She just knew she was drawn to Elijah, that she felt good around him and that she envisioned being intimate with him. She liked the kisses and touches they had briefly shared, and she wanted more, but he was so reserved. Was it because she was pregnant? Was it because the child was Klaus'? Or was it just his way?

With a sigh, she went to the chair, sat down and picked up the book again. From where she sat, she could see out of the corner of her eye if Elijah moved. After a few seconds of staring at one page of the book, she put it down and picked up the newspaper. She was able to concentrate on the short articles more easily than on the pages of the book.

Nothing happened for half an hour at which time Davina came to the open door. In moments, she was followed by Klaus.

"I did not expect you to come back so soon," Klaus said to the girl.

"I brought you something that might help Elijah," she said, holding up a plastic bag from a drugstore. She handed it to Klaus.

He took it, reached inside and pulled out a smallish box. "Davina, my dear, are you joking? This is one of those disposable saline enemas. I don't think this is what my brother needs." He couldn't stifle a laugh.

"It's not a joke! I took this to the magic shop and Portia put something in it."

"Something? Like what? And who the hell is Portia?"

"A woman who works there now. She's a witch."

"Of course she is. Well, she doesn't know what is wrong with him and yet she put 'something' in here that's supposed to help him?" he asked sarcastically.

"You have to add a few drops of your blood," the girl added, miffed at his attitude. "I'm trying to help. I didn't have to do this, you know. I'm supposed to be meeting my friend."

"Even if I add my blood, I am not going to put this where it is meant to go. That's ridiculous. I'll pour it down his throat."

"It won't work."

"It won't work wherever it goes," Klaus said with a snort. He had already given Elijah a few swallows of his blood while they were in the bathroom earlier. They had not noticed any difference. Actually, it was hard to tell because Elijah's condition kept changing.

Davina and Hayley watched as Klaus added a few drops of his blood to the plastic bottle. He didn't put the top back on the bottle, but instead leaned over the bed and let a little of the mixture go into Elijah's mouth. Although vampires normally swallowed when any blood was put in their mouth, Elijah didn't swallow. His tongue was against the back of his throat, so the liquid just pooled there. Frowning, Klaus turned his brother's head so that the potion ran out onto the pillow.

"It won't work that way," Davina repeated. "You have to put it …"

"I know what you said," Klaus snapped. "Do you realize that if I do that and he starts to wake up, he will think someone is sexually molesting him and he will likely try to take my head off?"

"That's not my problem. I'm telling you what I was told. What I somehow know will work. I can't explain it. You have to use it the right way and do it _slowly_ so his body has time to absorb it. It won't do any good if it comes right back out," the girl said with determination. Her cheeks were red, both from anger and from the embarrassing topic. "And I had to use my money to buy that. You owe me."

"You get an allowance," Klaus growled. Nevertheless, he fished some bills out of his pocket and grudgingly gave her some, actually more than what the item had cost.

Davina took the money and turned to leave without even a 'thank you.'

Klaus was left to make a decision, while Hayley watched him. "Decisions. Decisions," she said with a small smile.

"You are not helping. Or maybe you can."

"How? You want him to take _my_ head off?"

"No. This is ridiculous. This is just saline, my blood and some herbal decoction."

"But you aren't sure it won't help."

"I admit I'm not sure. Alright. What can it hurt, as long as he doesn't think he's being molested." He put the accompanying nozzle on the plastic bottle.

While he undid Elijah's belt, Hayley went into the bathroom and came out with several bath towels. The bed was freshly made and she wanted to prevent a mishap, although the pillow was now wet. She stood by while Klaus rolled his brother onto his left side and did what was necessary to expose his posterior. Hayley took up a position in front of the older brother and laid one of the towels over Elijah's hip so that he was properly covered. She stood there while Klaus hesitated.

"If he moves, talk to him," the Original finally said and then he sat on the edge of the bed and cautiously started the treatment. He wasn't sure how slowly or quickly he was supposed to instill the liquid, but he patiently took his time. Supposedly, Elijah's body was absorbing it. To what advantage? Maybe none at all.

Several minutes passed in silence with nothing happening. Then Elijah took a breath. Klaus froze, not moving a muscle.

"Elijah, don't move," Hayley said. "Please, don't move. Do you hear me?"

Elijah opened his eyes and looked at the woman leaning down in front of him. She thought he looked confused. Surely he recognized her. A bewildered frown came to his face and he started to turn onto his back. She put her hand on his shoulder and held him in place. "Don't move."

He turned his head, however, and saw Klaus right behind him.

"Hold still, brother," Klaus said calmly.

"What are you doing?" Elijah demanded. He realized he could feel something that he was not supposed to be feeling.

"It's a treatment, Elijah," Hayley quickly said. "You must hold still for just a little while longer."

He turned his head back and glowered at her. "A treatment? What the hell kind of treatment is that?"

Hayley hesitated to answer. She could not tell whether Elijah was in control of himself or not. Either way, he might feel violated and become enraged.

_A/N Okay, odd treatment. Did it work or not? How will Elijah react? _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Medication," Hayley explained, hoping to keep him calm. "You have been unconscious. We're hoping this new treatment will help, so please hold still,"

"Niklaus, I believe that is enough. Stop this at once," he ordered, looking back at the hybrid.

Klaus could tell that the plastic bottle was just about empty, so he stopped the treatment before his brother became irate. He held the container up so Elijah could see it.

"I don't understand," the older brother said, frowning. He rolled onto his back, careful that the towel continued to cover the front of him. He reached down and pulled up his underwear and the jeans, zipped them and buckled the belt.

Klaus explained about Davina and what she had claimed.

"And you took the word of that half-crazed young girl?" Elijah asked with disbelief. He liked Davina, but he felt she was out of control.

"It was worth a try. How do you feel?"

"Dumfounded that you would try that."

"I know it sounds crazy, but one never knows what will work. What do you see? No horns on me?"

"No."

"Good. Any wings on Hayley?"

Elijah looked at her. "No."

"Marvelous. When you get up, be careful. It was just a while ago that you stood and passed out. Well, I have things to do. Will you stay here for a while?" he asked this last of Hayley.

"If Elijah doesn't mind," she said with a nod. She looked at him and he gave no sign one way or the other.

"I'll be fine, Niklaus. Go take care of business," Elijah said, but he made no attempt to get up.

Klaus tossed the plastic bottle into a small waste bin and then headed for the door. He left, closing the door behind him.

Elijah looked up at the ceiling. He felt embarrassed and resisted looking at the woman who was standing beside his bed.

"I'm sorry my presence embarrasses you. I'll leave," Hayley said, moving away from the bed.

"Hayley, wait. Please stay. And please sit down," he said, patting the bed. "Was Davina here, too? While Niklaus was … um?"

"No. She's mad at him and she left," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Klaus hemmed and hawed for a bit before he decided to do the treatment. He was afraid you'd wake up and attack him." She smiled at the thought.

"So you stayed to distract me," Elijah said, understanding. "Nice distraction while something was happening behind me."

"You say the nicest things to a lady," she said with a grin. She was pleased to see a small smile come to his face.

"I have a strange taste in my mouth," he said, running his tongue over his teeth and lips.

Hayley told him why Klaus had put some of the solution in his mouth. "He really didn't want to do the other," she said with a smile.

"I am relieved to hear that," he said. He reached out and took her hand.

Hayley winced slightly as the baby kicked her. She took Elijah's hand and put it against her belly. The baby moved again.

"Five weeks yet?" he asked.

"Closer to six. I can't envision being a mother. How am I going to do it, Elijah?"

"You will be a good mother."

"I'm afraid for my little one's safety."

"I know. We all are concerned. We'll keep you both safe. I promise."

Hayley shook her head slightly. "Don't make that promise. You know how badly things can turn out. This isn't just any baby."

"I know. It's a miracle baby. My niece."

"That's not what I mean."

Elijah brought her hand to his lips. "I know what you mean, but have faith things will turn out alright." He kissed each of her finger tips.

Hayley moved her hand to lay it against his cheek and let her thumb caress his lips. Then she leaned down and brought her lips gently against his. He responded to the kiss, his own hands coming up to hold her head, his fingers in her dark hair.

When she drew back, she grinned and said, "You're right. Your mouth tastes funny."

"Then I had best use some mouthwash." He rolled onto his side away from her and sat up on the edge of the bed. She hurried around the bed and to his side.

"I'll go with you. Just in case you pass out again."

"If I should, do not try to catch me. You could hurt yourself."

There was no dizziness, so he stood up. Still no dizziness.

"Do you feel steady?"

"Yes." He walked into the bathroom with Hayley following. Looking in the mirror over the sink, he thought he looked tired. He had had a lot of rest and should not look tired. Still, he felt alright and he proceeded to brush his teeth and his tongue with minty toothpaste. Then he took his comb from the bathroom cabinet, wet it and combed his "bed head" hair back into place.

Watching him comb his hair just so, Hayley found herself thinking about something and debating whether or not to ask.

"Can I ask you something, sort of personal?"

"If you want, but I might not give you an answer," he said, putting him comb away.

"Someone once told me that many vampires are bisexual. Do you think that is true?"

Elijah turned to face her, a slight smile on his lips. "Are you wondering about me?"

"Not necessarily. A little. I'm just wondering."

"In my opinion, vampires in general tend to continue to be what they were before they were turned. Whatever their preference was will likely still be their preference. However, many vampires have lived a long time, hundreds of years, and situations arise. By choice or _not_ by choice, they may find themselves in situations with a person not of their preference. Those things do happen, as I am sure you realize. As for myself, I can assure you that my preference is for females. I have been heterosexual throughout about ninety eight percent of my life. Do not ask me about the other two percent."

"I see," Hayley said, relieved he had not been insulted by the question. She wondered, however, if his statement was something he had memorized, something he had used before. Then again, what did it matter?

"I do hope so," he said as he reached out to her, gently taking her head between his hands and kissing her again.

"Do I taste better now?" he asked when he broke the mouth contact.

"Much. Elijah, where is this going? I mean us."

"I can't say. My life, as you know, is unpredictable. My liaisons can be very brief. Passionate, but brief. I care about you. I am attracted to you, Hayley. You must know that by my actions."

"I do, but what kind of future is there for us? Any at all?"

"Don't even think in those terms. Don't make plans that include me. I can be here today and gone somewhere else tomorrow."

"You're planning of leaving?" she asked, a bit alarmed.

"No. I am merely pointing out that, much as I enjoy your company and intimate moments with you, I cannot promise you anything. I cannot commit to a relationship. I am being unfair to you, aren't I? I can be selfish, I'm afraid. I suppose I have been leading you on, as they say."

"No, you haven't. I'm in control of what I do and who I do it with," she said firmly. "I've been an active werewolf long enough to know how uncertain and tenuous life can be. I've certainly seen death. I know you can be a violent man, Elijah. I know you're an Original and just as powerful as Klaus. Both of you are men to be feared."

"I hope you do not fear me." He reached out and played with a strand of her silky hair.

"I respect you, Elijah. You're not at all like your brother. Being decent and gentle comes easily to you, but not to him. He is so volatile."

"Be glad you never had to spend time with my brother Kol. He was more volatile than Niklaus and delighted in being cruel. He suffered a brain injury a very long time ago and was never the same since." He shook his head with sadness over Kol as he led the way from the bathroom to the sitting area. There were two chairs and they sat down.

"That's a shame. Didn't you also have another brother?" Hayley liked to get him talking about his family or anything else. He had a nice voice and was well-spoken, and of course, he had an interesting past.

"Yes. Finn, the quietest of us all. He loved to read – once we all learned how to read in our adult years."

"What do you mean? You didn't learn how to read as a child in school?"

"Not while we were humans. Remember that we were born into a rough Viking settlement in Virginia. I already told you that."

"Yes, I remember. The settlement didn't have a school for the children?"

"No. We did learn to read and write the simple runic alphabet, such as it was, at home. In the settlement, it served its purpose well. And we could count. Our history and sagas were oral, passed down through the generations. There was one real book, part of an illuminated Bible, that was written in Latin. It belonged to one of the non-Norse families. An actual Christian family. Since they were the only ones, they had little to say about their faith. They did not preach and didn't teach anyone how to read the Latin. I saw the book and thought it amazing, beautifully illustrated, but at that time, the words were 'all looked Greek to me'." He smiled at the little joke.

Hayley grinned and then said, "You seem so well-educated, I guess I thought you started reading young."

"No. I was in my thirties when we traveled back to Europe. A whole new world opened up to me and my siblings. A glorious world compared to the primitive life style we had taken for granted in the forests of what is now Virginia. There, except for the metal pots, axes and knives, good woven cloth, and similar items, we lived somewhat like the native peoples who also had villages in the area. Hunting, fishing and growing some plant foods. We had adequate shelter."

"Like pioneers," Hayley said. "Did you ever wear buckskins?"

"Yes, eventually," Elijah said with a chuckle. "A few of the cloth items lasted the thirty odd years we were there. The women tried to preserve their cloth clothes, but the men wore out most of theirs in a few years."

"I suppose you learned to shoot with a bow and arrows," Hayley said with a grin.

"Very accurately, thank you." He grinned back at her, proud of his long-ago accomplishments. He had been a good hunter. He had also known how to handle a sword. His father had seen to that.

"A veritable Robin Hood, I'm sure," Hayley laughed, trying to envision a buckskin-clad Elijah drawing a bow and sending an arrow into a deer for dinner. Had he worn a coonskin cap like Daniel Boone?

He went on to tell her how he had learned to read Latin and Greek, and to learn about the known world at that time. He and the others from the colony did not tell many others about the land far to the west across the great ocean. A great many people at that time believed the world was flat and there was nothing way out in the ocean except the edge of the world.

"Elijah," Hayley interrupted after his last sentence.

"Yes?"

"I couldn't understand what you just told me, the last bit. You weren't speaking English."

He looked at her in surprise. "Yes, I was."

"Whatever you just said was not in English."

"Do not be ridiculous, Hayley! I don't appreciate that," he said, understanding her words perfectly.

"See? You just said something in another language," Hayley insisted. She couldn't understand why Elijah was speaking like that. And now he was giving her a hard stare. He was getting really annoyed.

_A/N Is Elijah speaking in another language or is Hayley hearing him wrongly? We shall see. I have a question about the Originals series. Did the plantation house burn down or suffer fire damage in one of the episodes? If so, I somehow missed it. What happened?_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_A/N Elijah is having a frustrating time with communication. I traveled with a friend one time through southern Germany. It was a fun trip through beautiful country, but we had a few frustrating times because we didn't speak German. Looking back, they were humorous experiences._

"Is it the way the Vikings spoke?" Haley asked, hoping he would nod.

"I know what I said was in English!" he growled.

Hayley frowned. "This is weird. It must be a new manifestation of your hallucinations."

"I am not hallucinating!" he said with frustration. "And I am speaking perfect English! What is wrong with your ears? Maybe now it is you under a spell!"

"I'm going to call Klaus," she said and fished her cell phone from her pocket.

Elijah was going to stop her, but he didn't. What if she was right? What if he was thinking in English, but speaking another tongue and he couldn't hear it?

"Klaus, where are you? Can you come to Elijah's room? No, he hasn't passed out again. He looks fine, but there is a problem. A new one. Come see for yourself."

"There is no need for this," Elijah fussed. He stared at the woman who sat a few feet away from him.

She stared back. "Please don't get upset. I'm sure this will pass like the rest of the weirdness has."

"How can I not be upset? I understand you perfectly. Why can't you understand me?"

"Whatever," she sighed.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for two whole minutes, each lost in thoughts about this new situation. Finally Klaus opened the door and walked in.

"What now?" he demanded, looking from one to the other.

"He's speaking in tongues. I can't understand him."

"I'm not speaking in tongues! Surely you understand me, Niklaus."

"Yes, I do," the younger brother said, a surprised look on his face.

"Good. But why did you just answer me in Danish?" Elijah demanded.

"Because that is what you are speaking."

"No! If I am speaking Danish, I should be able to tell. I am only hearing English! My syntax is English."

"No, it isn't. You speak Dansk very well. I don't know why you hear yourself in English. Weird."

"What language is he speaking?" Hayley asked.

"Dansk. Danish," Klaus said. "Modern, not the old language."

"I thought your background was Viking, like Norway or Sweden."

"Also Denmark."

"Oh. He was telling me about the village you two were born in, and then he started speaking this other language," Hayley explained.

"You understand our English?" Klaus asked his brother.

"Perfectly."

"But you can't hear yourself speaking Danish words?"

"No."

"Marvelous," Klaus said sarcastically, holding his hands up in frustration. "What am I going to do with you, brother?"

"One thing we know. That little treatment you administered a while ago did not cure all my afflictions." Elijah's tone was sarcastic, too.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Klaus said, shrugging. "I don't know what else to do. I don't know if this is mind control or some delayed effect of the poison."

"Maybe I am just losing my mind," Elijah offered in a snarky tone.

"What'd he say?" Hayley asked.

"Nothing important," Klaus said wearily.

"It is important to me," Elijah muttered.

"What'd he say?" Hayley didn't like being left out of the conversation.

"Again, it is …"

"Shut up! Both of you! Leave me alone. Please. At least I can understand what I am thinking." He waved a hand toward the door.

Hayley stood up from her chair and headed for the door. It was obvious to her that now was not a good time to try to keep Elijah company. Trying to communicate was frustrating for each of them.

Elijah watched her go and he was angry with himself for saying what he had said. "I really don't want you to go, Hayley. Niklaus, tell her!"

"He doesn't want you to go," the younger brother said to the woman's back.

"This is frustrating for him. And me, too. I can't understand him, so we can't talk," Hayley said, turning to face the men. Her eyes met Elijah's, but she couldn't read his expression. "I'll come back in a while." She turned and left.

"What do you want me to do, brother?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know. What can you do that you haven't done already? When Davina returns, maybe she can think of something. Also, I am hungry again."

"Food or blood?"

"Blood."

"I'll find someone," Klaus said and he headed for the door.

Elijah paced about in his room, unable to settle down. His life was totally out of control, perhaps in someone else's hands. He wished he knew who or why. In a couple of minutes there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find the day-walker vampire Kiley there. Kiley was smiling. Hawk, sitting on the railing had a smirk on his face.

"Klaus sent me. Said you were hungry and he asked for a volunteer. I raised my hand."

"Um hm," Elijah said. At least that response didn't have to be said in either English or Danish. He knew why Kiley had volunteered. He was gay and often had an eye on Elijah, which the Original ignored. The conversation he had just had with Hayley came to mind as he considered how to take Kiley. He wasn't in the mood to be friendly about this. He just wanted to feed from the man.

"Any time you're ready," Kiley volunteered. He was a handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes and he was Elijah's height.

"Turn around," Elijah said and he didn't know what language it came out as. In addition, he signaled with his hand that the man turn around.

"I don't mind facing you for this."

"Turn around before I lose my temper and turn you," Elijah said, not letting himself move into vampire mode, but he was close to it. He signaled the man again, and then watched Kiley reluctantly turn his back. In an instant the fangs came down and he felt his eyes and face change. He grabbed Kiley, hugging him tightly against his body with one arm and using the other to tilt his head back and to the side, exposing the volunteer's neck. He drove in the fangs and heard the man moan, more in pleasure than in pain. Despite the closeness of their bodies, Kiley managed to grope Elijah's crotch. The Original ignored the touching.

There was always a feeling of sexual pleasure when a vampire tapped into a victim's artery and took the blood into his system. The feeling could be very minor or more intense, depending on the situation. It was more intense when the blood was coming from a nice warm human, but vampire blood also had a kick to it. Elijah relished what he took from Kiley and he didn't care what pleasure Kiley got in return. It was the younger vampire's reward for offering up his blood.

The Original did not take a lot of blood. He didn't need much and there was no sense in weakening the man. When done, he licked blood from the skin and then pushed Kiley away from him, lest he get the wrong idea.

"Thank you, Kiley. Now, please leave," Elijah said and he used his hand to indicate what he wanted. He wished he knew if the man understood his words, but there was no indication one way or the other. He could tell the younger vampire had enjoyed the encounter and would have stayed if invited to do so, but Elijah indicated again that he leave.

Having to be satisfied with what he had experienced, Kiley walked out the door, a grin on his face. After all, he had just had an intimate connection of sorts with none other than the handsome Elijah Mikaelson!

Elijah hoped that Hayley didn't notice Kiley's visit or his grin. During the brief discussion about intimate encounters, he had failed to tell Hayley about the pleasures of taking the blood. He didn't really consider the quick feeding from a man an example of a same-sex encounter. Over the centuries he had fed from a million people and probably one third of them had been males. Although there was a difference between human and vampire, blood was blood.

He walked to the open door and stared out. The early afternoon sun flooded the courtyard below as well as the floor of the gallery. He was restless and tired of being confined to the house and his room. He couldn't blame Davina for wanting to go out and about. He hoped she was being careful and safe.

Normally, he could sit and read or watch certain programs on his television, but he wasn't in the mood now. He felt like he needed a good stiff drink or two. He had liquor in his room and there was some in the den on the next floor down, but he decided alcohol wasn't really what he wanted. He wanted to get out of the house. In addition, he found he was itching for a fight. That was unusual for him. His fighting, except with his brother, was dangerous to other people. He was too strong and it was too easy for him to kill someone.

He thought about baiting Klaus enough to start a fight. Klaus would not understand what the problem was and was unlikely to want to fight him anyway. And if he made his brother too angry, the hybrid was likely to find one of the old daggers and stick it into Elijah's heart, rendering him "dead" for some period of time.

Hawk still had guard duty outside Elijah's room, although he had had a lunch break.

"You wanting to go somewhere, boss?" he asked, watching the man in the doorway.

"I have no idea where I want to go."

"I didn't catch that. What'd you say?"

"You cannot understand me either, can you? Well, don't worry about it. I am not going anywhere." He watched Klaus coming up the stairs and along the gallery toward him. In a moment they were back inside Elijah's room with the door standing open.

"Did you get enough to eat?" the blond brother asked.

"Enough. Why did you send Kiley?"

"He volunteered."

"So he told me. You know how he feels about me."

"I do, but what difference does it make? You got blood and I'm sure it was a thrill for him."

"Have you learned anything useful about my situation?" Elijah asked, changing the subject.

"No. Be patient, brother. I'm going to go talk to the witch who gave Davina the herbs for your last treatment. If she thought the herbs would help, perhaps she knows something about your problem. Please stay here."

"I seem to be getting 'cabin fever' and I want to go out and aimlessly roam the streets," Elijah said with a snort. "I have to admit, Niklaus, I am itching for a good brawl with someone. Anyone."

Klaus stared at him and then uttered a profanity of frustration

Elijah felt a growing anger. "This is not my fault, you know," he snapped.

"I can't understand a word you are saying. I don't even know what language you're using now," Klaus stated with more frustration.

"I'm speaking English!" Elijah yelled at him.

"If you just said you are speaking English, no, you are not! I'm going to speak with the witch. Someone has to know what's wrong with you." He turned and strode out the door.

Enraged now, Elijah swore and then bellowed, "Don't you walk away from me!" In a blur, he moved toward the open door, intent on grabbing Klaus. His sense of direction was somewhat off and he slammed hard into the door frame. The wall trembled as he collided with the solid frame so hard that it knocked him unconscious.

_A/N Okay, things are not going well for Elijah. I hope you liked this chapter._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_A/N The further adventures of confused and out-of-control Elijah. He has had better days._

Klaus turned around in time to see his brother bounce off the doorframe and land on his back on the floor. In a moment he was crouched beside the fallen man, observing that he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, a broken nose and a split lip. He was probably bruised all the way down the middle of his body. Klaus didn't worry about any of that; all damage would heal quickly and be back to normal. What upset him was that Elijah had flown into a rage and, more importantly, that he had missed the open doorway. Plus he had been speaking in an unknown tongue.

"He acting mighty crazy," Hawk remarked. "What you think wrong with him?"

"I wish I knew," Klaus said, standing up and turning toward the door.

"You gonna leave him lie there?"

"Yes. He'll be fine in a few minutes. Try not to let him wander off."

"You think I can stop Elijah? Fat chance of that. He was mighty pissed a minute ago."

"Well, follow him if he gets away. You have your phone?"

"Sure."

"Keep me posted." He left the room and headed for the stairs.

Hawk was left standing outside the door, but watching the body lying just inside the room. He hoped Elijah's anger had passed. He knew the older Original was quick to kill when angry, but right now he lay still, blood running from his wounds and pooling under his head. Even as Hawk watched, he saw the blood coagulate and cease oozing. The wounds were closed. Within a minute, Elijah gave a cough that spewed blood from his mouth and he moved a bit. Hawk stepped further back from the doorway.

Elijah regained consciousness slowly and had no idea what had happened, except that he was sore. He tasted blood and his sore nose was completely clogged. His forehead was sore, his ribs were sore and his groin area was sore. When he opened his eyes, he found he was looking through bloody eye lashes stuck together, but he made out a man's silhouette outside the door. Hawk, he thought.

With considerable effort, he sat up. He touched his face and his hand came away with blood and clots. Had he been beaten up? He had been talking to Klaus. Had they been in a fight? He had been itching for a fight. He just could not remember.

"What happened?" he asked Hawk, who had moved closer now. "Did Niklaus and I have a fight?"

"Don't know what you saying," the black vampire said with concern.

Elijah then recalled that people were having trouble understanding him because he was apparently speaking in another language. Klaus had understood him though. With a groan, he got to his feet and swayed for a moment. He looked at the floor and saw where a puddle of blood had collected around his head. That meant his hair was full of blood.

He turned to Hawk again and held up his hands in a gesture that said, "What happened?" His also tried to convey the same question with a bewildered look on his face.

Hawk read the signs correctly. "You ran smack into the door frame. Real fast and real hard."

Elijah gave a little nod, understanding, but not remembering doing that. He turned and headed for the bathroom. There he stared at his bloody face in the mirror. He felt his nose and knew it had been broken, but was now back to normal. No wonder it was clogged with blood clots. He would be lucky if he didn't briefly have a couple of black eyes. He needed to take a shower and wash his hair. What a mess he was.

Slowly, he peeled off the T-shirt and tossed it into the dirty clothes hamper. His jeans seemed to still be clean, as were his shoes and socks. Naked, he stepped into the tub, which included the shower, and pulled the curtain around him. After adjusting the water to the temperature he wanted, he washed his hair. Red water ran down his body and on down the drain. He scrubbed his face. Even his eyebrows had blood clotted in the hairs. And he snorted the blood out of his nose.

After the shower, he again brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth. He combed his hair and dressed in the clothes he had removed, minus the shirt. As he exited the bathroom, he heard a knock at his bedroom door. It was still open and he saw Hayley standing just outside. He felt relief that she was there. Not knowing if she could understand him, he used his hand to beckon her in.

She walked into the room, careful not to step in the puddle of blood on the floor. "What happened here?" she asked, looking from Elijah to Hawk. The guard told her.

"Are you alright now?" she asked the Original. She couldn't help but notice his nude upper body. She thought she could look at that any time. He wasn't a big man or heavily muscled, but he was certainly well-proportioned.

Elijah didn't answer. He couldn't. A wave of despair swept over him as he studied her and his shoulders sagged. Hayley had wings again!

"What's the matter, Elijah? Are you sick?" she asked. "Can you understand me?"

He nodded. He pointed at her, and then he raised his arms outward and slowly raised and lowered them, like a bird flapping its wings.

"I have wings again?" Hayley asked.

He nodded. Then he went to his chair and slumped down in it.

"Oh, Elijah. I'm sorry. I wish I could help," the woman said. "This is so hard for you. It's just not fair."

He used his hands in a discouraged gesture, a sort of "what can anyone do?"

"Well, let me clean up that blood."

"No. I'll do it," he said, shaking his head.

She didn't understand his words, but got the point. Instead, she sat in the other chair and watched him get up, get a towel from the bathroom and then wipe up most of the blood. A red smear was left, but neither of them did anything about it.

He disposed of the soiled towel, washed his hands and returned to his chair. Leaning forward, he put his elbows on his knees and leaned his forehead on his hands. His forehead was still sore right in the middle, but there was barely a bruise where the skin had been split open and was now healed.

"The blood I lost was about equal to what I took from Kiley. Now I'm hungry again. I can hear your heart. You probably should go," he mumbled.

"Did you say Kiley's name?" Hayley asked. It was the only word she had understood.

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

Hayley got up, went to the door that was still open and spoke to Hawk, asking him to get Kiley.

"No, Hayley! I don't … well, maybe I do," Elijah stammered. He could get another meal. His hunger was increasing.

"Hey, Kiley," Hawk yelled down to the courtyard. "Elijah want you again."

_Damn_, Elijah thought as he heard some hoots and laughter coming from down below. _What do they think I'm doing with him? _He heard the clomping of Kiley's boots as the young man took the stairs two at a time. In no time he appeared at the doorway, his eyes roving over the Original's bare upper torso.

Elijah closed the door and moved further into the room. He beckoned Kiley over to stand in front of him and then signaled that he turn around.

"Nope. If you want it, this time I'm not turning my back," Kiley grinned. He certainly could see that the woman was there and wished she wasn't. Still, he was happy Elijah wanted him and not her.

Not sure of what Kiley would do, Elijah also wished Hayley was not present, but he didn't signal her to leave. He couldn't tell Kiley to behave in front of her, because of his language problem. He also felt no need to hurt the young man. For instance, there was no need to rip the young man's throat wide open while feeding from him.

With no reason to delay the inevitable, he let himself change into vampire mode, his fangs coming down. He reached out to Kiley, who willingly came into his arms and right up against him. Locked in a mutual hug, the young man leaned his head to one side and winced at the older vampire bit into his neck, this time on the other side from before.

What Hayley saw made her realize that Kiley was getting sexual pleasure from both Elijah's feeding and from so much body contact. Kiley's face changed, too, and he nipped Elijah's shoulder, and then licked up the small amount of blood. It crossed Hayley's mind that they were exchanging bodily fluids, but it was blood, and they were both getting a kick out of it. A little same-sex pleasure, she decided. She was only slightly embarrassed to be watching this.

When Elijah felt he had had enough, he pushed Kiley away, or tried to do so. The younger man had his hands locked behind the Original's back. Elijah reached back with both of his, forced the other's hands apart and then pushed him back.

Hayley saw that Kiley was aroused, which Elijah must have felt, of course. The younger vampire looked at Hayley and gave her a smirk, perhaps meaning, _"I got him, too. You aren't the only one he likes." _This attitude annoyed Hayley for a moment. Did she feel a tinge of jealousy? Then she smiled broadly at him, which made his expression change to one of uncertainty.

Elijah opened the door and used a hand to indicate that the young man leave, which he did. Despite feeling good after taking the younger vampire's blood, he was very annoyed. He resented giving Kiley any pleasure and he was embarrassed that Hayley was there. And he was still frustrated by his whole situation. After closing the door, he muttered a long string of expletives, which he guessed would come out in whatever his present language was, and kicked a nearby waste bin across the room. He was too frustrated to care that his un-gentlemanly behavior was being observed by the woman he was fond of.

"I understood that," Hayley informed him.

"What?"

"You were just swearing in English and some French and I understood."

"I spoke English?" Hope surged in Elijah and also more embarrassment.

"Perfectly. You cuss very well."

"Then I must apologize for my profane outburst. I didn't expect you to understand. But you did?"

"Yes! The strange languages are gone. Do you think Kiley's blood had anything to do with it?"

"I doubt it. I took some of his blood earlier and it didn't make a difference. I don't care what made the difference, I can now talk to people and be understood. I felt cut off from everyone when I could not communicate verbally."

"Elijah, do I still have wings?"

"Yes. Lovely, but disturbing. Obviously, I am not totally cured." He remembered that he was bare down to the waist band of his low-cut jeans and he headed for the closet to get a shirt.

"He bit you. Kiley did," Hayley said, watching him pull on a clean T-shirt.

"I know. Just a scratch and it has healed. A common occurrence when two vampires …" He stopped, again from embarrassment.

"I never thought of that. When I slept with Klaus, we were careful not to bite, mostly because of my potentially dangerous bite."

"I must remember that, should you and I ever …" He turned away, a bit flustered.

"When I am human, my saliva may be harmless," Hayley was quick to point out. She didn't know for sure, but she didn't want Elijah to never consider a get-together.

"Perhaps. As for my feeding from Kiley, this was not really an example of that of which we were speaking before. I had no sexual feelings toward Kiley," he quickly explained. He didn't mention the jolt he got from the blood, however.

"We can't say the same about Kiley. You really turned him on," Hayley said with a chuckle.

"I know. Feeding from him just leads him on, I suppose," Elijah said as he sat down in his chair. "If I must feed again, it will not be from him."

"He'll be _so_ disappointed," she said, grinning.

"You are teasing me," Elijah said with a smile. It was wonderful to be able to converse with her again.

"It's good to see you smile. You've had little to smile about since yesterday."

"It seems a lot longer than that," Elijah admitted. "There are times when my life seems like one disaster after another, especially when I am around one of my brothers."

"But not Rebekah?"

"She, too, if she is around our brothers."

"She only has two of you left."

"Yes. For a long time, I thought there was just Niklaus and myself. He didn't tell me that he had our mother and siblings 'preserved' in coffins and safe. I thought he had daggered them all and disposed of their bodies were they could never be retrieved. Although I was often in his company, I secretly hated him for that."

"Why did you stay with him? Why didn't you kill him?"

"I thought he might tell me where the bodies were. And besides, he is family. My brother."

"Family means a lot to you. I mean, to put up with the likes of him." She laid a hand on her abdomen where another of his family members resided.

"Yes. He cares about family, also, but he doesn't admit to it very often. He is trying to help me now, but I know this frustrates him. And he has other business to attend to. Right now, I feel useless."

"Hanging around here can be boring, I know. If I were not pregnant and if there were no people intent on hurting or using my baby, I would be out doing other things," Hayley admitted.

"As would I," Elijah said with a sigh. He sat up straight and said, "I believe we should go out for a walk."

"Now? You and I?"

"Absolutely. You need exercise."

"I do? Actually, I think you're right. When I stay here at the house, the only exercise I get is going up and down stairs. And I eat too much. Okay, let's see if we can sneak out of this fancy prison," Hayley said with a grin. She rose from her chair and went to the door, where she waited for Elijah.

Not liking to go out in public in a T-shirt, he grabbed a sports coat from his closet and put it on. Then he went to the door, opened it and let the lady go out first.

_A/N I hope you liked this chapter. Are things looking better for Elijah or is this just a pause in his troubles?_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Hawk, we are going for a walk over to the Square," Elijah said as he and Hayley left the room.

"Klaus don't want you leaving," Hawk said with concern.

"I know. You may go with us," Elijah said with a small smile. He knew the man took his guard duty seriously. "Just in case I become ill again." He didn't plan to become ill, mentally or physically, but it helped Hawk make a decision.

"I'm with you," the muscled vampire said, as glad as the two others to leave the house. He followed them down the stairs to the courtyard.

There were four day-walkers, including Kiley, playing a card game at a table. They watched the three people leave, going out the entrance passageway to the street. Kiley very much wanted to go with them, but he didn't move. He wished he had the chance to be alone with the Original, to talk, if nothing else. He wanted to learn what Elijah thought of him. What Elijah might be willing to do. Anything.

With Elijah and Hayley walking side-by-side and Hawk close behind, the three headed along a couple of streets and then down toward the river. They came to Jackson Square in front of the St. Louis Cathedral.

"There's so much history here," Hayley said. "I like it. I like to envision the famous people who once walked around here."

"A great many, since the city has been here so long," Elijah agreed.

"It's a really old city."

"By American standards. It is not old by European standards. Or other parts of the world, for that matter."

"Okay. You're right," Hayley chuckled. Without thinking, she reached out and looped her arm around his. He laid one of his hands on top of hers as they entered Jackson Square, enclosed by wrought iron fencing. There were plenty of shrubs, trees and benches. In the center was the bronze statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse. The man had fought and won in a battle near New Orleans against British troops in the War of 1812, thus keeping the city for the United States.

Standing at the base of the big statue, Hayley observed, "I am always amazed at the detail in bronzes. I mean, there are veins and finger nails."

"I, too, have always been amazed at the skill of sculptors," Elijah agreed. He knew Hayley had never been outside the United States and therefore had not been able to see a fraction of the number of works of art he had seen, both in bronze and in marble. He didn't even know if she had visited some of America's fine art museums.

"I know Klaus paints, but has he ever done sculpting?" she asked.

"He toyed with it, but it is painting he enjoys. He is too impatient to be a sculptor."

"His paintings are so dark. And angry."

"Sometimes. You have never seen his other work. He can paint in the style of the Dutch Masters. The style of Rubens. And others. In some cases, he probably could be a forger."

"Really? He's actually that good?" Hayley asked in surprise. "That's so radically different from the mean sketches and paintings he does now."

"He is not in a good mood these days. His anger, stress and frustration are reflected in his art. Not long ago, he painted a portrait of Caroline Forbes in Mystic Falls and it could have been done by Rubens."

"I didn't realize that. The night I slept with him in his house, I noticed many paintings on the walls, but I didn't think any of them were done by him."

"Most were not. They were originals by famous artists."

"The wealthy Mikaelsons," Hayley said with a wry smile.

"Do you resent our money?"

"Not really, except when I see the poor who don't have enough."

"We are quite philanthropic, but also fund some services that help those in need. A certain amount of our money is in endowments and whatnot."

"That's good to hear," she said.

"None of them are under the name 'Mikaelson.' My father had nothing to do with them and we don't want anyone to think so." His tone reflected his negative opinion of his father.

Elijah looked up at the statue as sunlight glinted off the rich bronze. Jackson was holding his hat in the air in a salute to victory. But then, as Elijah watched, horns of bronze grew from the statue's head and it seemed as if the man's eyes looked right at him. Elijah gasped in alarm, his stomach clenched and his heart thumped in his chest. He didn't realize that he yelped a curse of fear, but when he looked around, people were staring at him – women with big wings raised in a threatening manner and men pointing sharp horns at him.

Hayley and Hawk were surprised by Elijah's reaction and the look on his face as he quickly scanned the scattered crowd of tourists and locals. They saw anger and fear and confusion.

"Elijah, it is horns again?" Hayley asked, laying a hand on his arm.

He looked at her, saw her raised wings and took a step back from her. He turned his eyes to Hawk and saw the big, sharp horns there, pointing at him.

Hayley spoke up in a calm tone. "It's just hallucinations, Elijah. If you are seeing horns and wings again, they aren't real. Do you understand? Not real. Hallucinations."

_Hallucinations! Hallucinations. Hallucinations. Not real. Look damned real to me,_ Elijah thought, on the verge of panic.

Hawk was not privy to all that was going on with Elijah, but he knew when someone was looking at him in fear, when someone had that cornered look and was ready to bolt away. Or to lash out in a deadly fashion.

"I ain't the enemy, boss. I here to protect you. You got that? Don't you worry none about me. No one touch you," he said in an even voice. Unlike Hayley, he made no attempt to reach out his hand to the Original.

"Let's go home, Elijah," Hayley said. "Back to the house where it's safe." She didn't dare touch him again. "Come. Hawk will lead the way. I'll be right beside you."

Elijah looked from one to the other. Hawk's horns had sharp points like a Spanish fighting bull, but even as he looked, the horn tips raised upward so that they were not pointing at him. Hayley's wings were big, outstretched in a forward position like an angry swan or goose, but her facial expression was calm. Her voice sounded calm.

"Hawk, lead the way. Come, Elijah, follow Hawk. He will keep us safe."

When Hawk moved away, Elijah followed closely, but his eyes continuously swept right and left at the people on the street and sidewalk.

"Look down at the ground, Elijah," Hayley urged. "Keep your eyes down. That way you won't see any horns. Look down. That's it. You're safe."

Elijah was not convinced, but he forced himself to keep his eyes on the sidewalk and Hawk's heels. He wanted to get back to the house and to the safety of his room. He had to trust Hawk and Hayley to get him there, despite their wings and horns. He glanced up at the man's back and saw that the horns were still pointing upward and not back at him. That was good. He also glanced at Hayley's wings. She had folded them against her body. That was good, too. He returned his vision to the sidewalk.

There were a lot of tourists on the streets. The sidewalk was busy and it made Elijah nervous. He was constantly tempted to look for anyone threatening him, but he forced his eyes to remain downward. These same people had beating hearts and pulsing blood that he could smell. He stifled the urge to bite someone. He knew when they reached the passage way to the courtyard because it had a familiar scent and he turned into it. Home. He was soon to be safe in his room. Relief.

There were seven vampires hanging out in the courtyard by this time. They all looked at the returning trio. One who was especially interested was Kiley. He could tell that Elijah was upset, that he was keeping his eyes downcast. What had happened? the young man wondered with concern. Had Hawk or the werewolf bitch done something to Elijah? What had they done to him to make him look so upset? Determined to find out, he strode toward the three as they headed for the stairs.

Elijah raised his head and saw Kiley coming at him with a purposeful stride. Since the young vampire sported long horns that were pointed forward in an angry way, Elijah suddenly felt threatened. He was sure Kiley was attacking! In an instant, he went into vampire mode.

Kiley saw the sudden change in the Original's face, fangs down and the eyes blazing, and stopped his advance. He hadn't expected that reaction and realized he himself was in danger. Elijah was going to attack! It shocked the young man. He didn't know that Elijah was judging him by horns he didn't know he had. He had to make a decision quickly. He could probably save himself by cowering in fear or by turning tail and running away in a blur. But he had pride and courage, and besides, he didn't want to appear a coward before the others and this man that he loved and admired. He certainly knew that Elijah could kill a vampire in an instant by ripping his heart out or decapitating him or running a sharp piece of wood through his heart. He was hurt that Elijah was turning on him, but he stood his ground, even if it meant his death. If he had to die, then let it be by the hand of the great Original Elijah.

Hayley and Hawk were not able to react quickly enough to prevent Elijah from attacking Kiley. They saw with alarm the man grab the younger fellow by his shirt and punch him in the face, slamming him to the paving stones. Both Hayley and Hawk yelled at Elijah to stop and Hawk risked his own life by grabbing Elijah's arm as the older man jumped on the fallen Kiley and began a furious assault. Elijah threw him away with a powerful shove.

One thing that kept Elijah from immediately killing Kiley was that the big, sharp horns on the fellow's head reversed direction, so that they were pointing backward and downward, lying against the back of Kiley's head, almost in a submissive manner. And Kiley was not fighting back. He was certainly trying to defend himself with his arms, but he was not throwing any punches. He even made no attempt to kick Elijah, although he used his legs to try to push him away. Still, the Original was angry and frustrated and wanting to fight, so he pounded Kiley with his fists and sliced him with his fangs anywhere he could. In moments, Kiley was bleeding from his arms, chest and scalp, had a couple of broken bones and his smashed nose.

Although the young man had had no intention of begging, he did. While crying out in fear and pain, he realized that Elijah was not going to go for the quick kill, that he was going to slowly beat him nearly to death with punches and deep lacerations and broken bones. He begged Elijah to stop.

The blows continued as Elijah vented his pent up frustration and ignored the pleas for mercy.

_A/N Despite the fact that Elijah prefers to act the gentleman and has considerable patience, he is still, under the façade, a violent vampire with a bad temper that surfaces now and then. For now, his patience has expired. Do you think that, under the circumstances, Elijah would react this way?_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_A/N In my writing I do not mean to insult anyone. My characters might insult one another or have prejudices, but that is them, not me. It is not my intention to 'put down' anyone's race, religion or sexual preference._

It was not until Klaus suddenly appeared on the scene and grabbed one of Elijah's arms and gave a mighty pull that Elijah stopped pummeling Kiley. Klaus, fangs bared and sporting horns that only Elijah could see, was a much more worthy opponent, and Elijah turned his frustration on his brother. In moments, they had knocked over patio tables and chairs. They ran into the sharp corner of the stone fountain so hard that Elijah's spine was damaged and his legs gave out. He could neither stand and fight nor get away from Klaus, who had his own frustrations and gave his brother a couple more hard blows. Elijah sagged to the ground and held up an arm in surrender, even though he feared Klaus would run him through with one of the dangerous horns.

There was silence in the courtyard for a long moment. Only the harsh breathing of those who had been in the fight could be heard. Kiley lay bleeding and hurting, but painfully healing, his breath coming in moaning sobs. Elijah lay crumpled at the base of the fountain with Klaus standing over him, ready to land more punches. The brothers glared at each other. Hayley, Hawk and the others watched to see what would happen next.

Finally, when Elijah shifted out of vampire mode, his brother did likewise. Klaus asked, "What the hell brought this on?"

Elijah wanted to say that Kiley had started it by attacking, but in retrospect, he now knew that Kiley had not really been attacking. Looking up at Klaus, he saw the horns slowly disappear. He glanced over at Hayley and Hawk. Their hallucinated adornments were also fading. So were those on the fallen Kiley, who now had two other hornless vampires kneeling beside him.

"Answer me, damn it," Klaus demanded, stepping back from his brother. He knew from the few words Elijah had snarled during their brief fight that the older brother was speaking English again.

"The hallucinations," Elijah admitted, noticing that his nice sport coat was bloodied and ripped beyond repair. "Kiley had horns. I thought he was a danger to me, I suppose. I don't know. I just saw red and attacked him when he approached me."

"You didn't kill him. Why?" Klaus knew he himself would have quickly killed the young man if he thought he was attacking.

Again, Elijah admitted the truth, seriously disturbed by the way he had acted and the frustration of not knowing who was behind it. "I just wanted to beat the crap out of him. I felt like a time bomb waiting to go off."

"Are you defused now?"

"I believe so."

"Good. Get up and come to the office. I want to talk to you."

"I am unable move my legs."

"From injury or from that damned spell someone is casting?" There was no sympathy or concern in Klaus' tone, just annoyance.

"Spinal injury. I hit the corner of the fountain."

"I see. Do you wish to stay here until it heals or do you want Hawk and I to haul you inside?"

"Haul away," Elijah said. He was in a lot of pain, more from broken ribs and his spinal injury than from the punches and kicks. He gritted his teeth to keep from yelping when Klaus and Hawk took hold of his arms and lifted him. His legs were useless, but his spinal bones were trying to realign themselves and it was as if someone was stabbing him in the back with a knife and twisting the blade. With his arms over the shoulders of the other two men, his spine had a chance to begin straightening. The ribs, too, were painfully pulling together.

Klaus didn't try to drag his brother up two flights of stairs, but instead took him into the ground-floor business office. There he and Hawk laid Elijah on the rug on the floor. Elijah noticed that Hayley did not enter the office. He suspected that she had gone to her room. Was she disgusted with his behavior? He wouldn't be surprised if she was. He was disgusted with himself.

"Any breaks in your arms or legs?" Klaus asked.

"No, just hands." He had broken some fingers and other hand bones while bashing first Kiley and then Klaus. His hands hurt as the small bones realigned, but not as badly as his back and the broken ribs.

To Hawk Klaus said, "I'll pull on his arms; you pull on his legs." They did so and this form of traction straightened the spine so that the damaged nerves and ligaments could heal more quickly. Unlike those of humans, vampire spinal cords could heal. Such pulling did not help the ribs.

Elijah gasped and groaned with the pain during the traction, and then lay still and quiet. He had been seriously injured many times in his life and the pain of it and of the healing just had to be endured. He thought about Kiley and he felt guilty about what he had done to him. The young man was suffering, too. How badly was he injured? He would have to suffer through the healing process, perhaps longer than Elijah himself.

"I must apologize to Kiley," he said to Klaus, who had taken a seat at his desk as Hawk left the room.

"If you feel you should. Be careful how you do it. You don't know at this point if he hates you or still has a crush on you."

"Whatever he feels, I owe him an apology."

"Be careful he doesn't talk you into doing something you don't want to do just because you feel guilty. If you know what I mean." He raised an eyebrow.

"I know what I am doing, Niklaus."

"You didn't a short while ago," the younger brother pointed out.

"I despise this whole business! Someone must hate me greatly," Elijah snapped from his position on the floor. He still couldn't move his legs, but feeling in them had returned.

"You have an abundance of enemies, brother, despite your constant attempts to be fair and a gentleman. When push comes to shove, you are as much of a bully as I am. It makes some hate us." His smile reflected his amusement.

"I am aware of that. I don't believe I am hallucinating in any manner right now. Perhaps my nemesis is done with me," Elijah said hopefully. He ran a sore hand through his mussed hair.

"Time will tell. Can you get up yet?"

Elijah tried to move his legs, but they barely twitched. Assorted sensations and some pain ran down to his feet. He shook his head to answer the question.

Klaus moved to him and sat him up, ignoring the man's grimace of pain. In a moment, he had his brother sitting on the leather sofa that was against one wall.

"Why did you leave the house?" the hybrid asked, taking his seat at the desk again. He turned the chair to face Elijah.

"Cabin fever. Both Hayley and I. I wanted to walk down to the river, so we went with Hawk still guarding me. Unfortunately, he cannot protect me from the hallucinations. Did you know that the statue of Andrew Jackson can grow bronze horns?"

"You don't say? No telling what other body parts he could grow in bronze. Or brass," Klaus said with a grin.

"Not unless I was imagining it, I suppose. Has Davina found out anything more?"

"I have no idea. Oh, speak of the devil. Hello, Davina." Klaus eyed the girl who was just coming in through the open door of the office. In addition, Hayley also came into the room.

"What kind of greeting is that?" Davina snapped. "I don't know why I even bother to help either of you." She had been shopping with her friends and now carried a bag from one of the clothing stores frequented by the young people.

"Meaning you found out something?" Klaus asked.

"I'm not sure. Someone has definitely been casting spells frequently. I'm not the only witch who has sensed it. The name Celeste comes to mind."

Elijah was shocked to hear this name. "Celeste? Celeste du Bois? Davina, she has been dead for two hundred years! I know because I buried her."

"The dead do not always stay dead exactly," Davina pointed out. "What cemetery is she in?"

"None. She did not want to be buried where her remains could be found. When she was murdered, I buried her in a secret place."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. Someone may be channeling her."

"She had no reason to resent me, nor to bedevil me now. It has to be someone else," Elijah insisted. He was sure it was not the spirit of his long-ago love.

"I don't have any other information for you. I'm going to my room," the girl said and she turned and walked out the door.

Hayley was standing off to one side and she was staring at Elijah. Feeling uncomfortable under her stare, he looked back at her for a moment and then away.

"That was an ugly scene out there," she said accusingly. "You were vicious to Kiley. I don't think he deserved that."

"He didn't, but I thought otherwise while I was hallucinating. I shall apologize to him soon," Elijah said, feeling chastised.

"I should hope so," Hayley snapped. She turned and left the room.

"Trouble in paradise," Klaus said with a smirk.

"There is no paradise here," Elijah muttered. He suspected Hayley was not about to forgive him, not for a while, anyway. "Would you be kind enough to pour me a drink?"

Klaus snorted and stood up. "I'm your servant now?"

"Then just forget it, Niklaus," Elijah snapped. Nevertheless, he watched his brother go to the bar and pour some liquor, knowing what Elijah liked. In a moment, the glass was in the older brother's hand and he gulped some down.

"You are a lot of bother, you know," Klaus said, sitting at the desk again.

"It is not my desire to be so. In the past, have I not taken care of you a few times?"

"You have. I haven't forgotten, but this is still a nuisance."

"Oh, I agree there." Elijah wiggled his toes in his shoes and bent his knees. He found his legs getting stronger and more responsive. He would be able to stand soon.

Klaus changed the subject and talked about the general situation in the Quarter. There was great unrest among the vampire and witches, while the werewolves prowled in their camp well outside New Orleans. Marcel was across the river in exile with just a few loyal followers. Cami, whom Klaus liked quite a bit, was in distress over her uncle, the priest, who was behaving oddly. Davina, young, but powerful, was defiant.

Elijah's attempts to find a peaceful agreement among the warring factions was not working. There was too much self-interest in the groups and there were a few strong-minded troublemakers. In his present state, Elijah could not concentrate on such problems, although he patiently listened to his brother's words.

Within ten minutes, he could get up and stand. He walked carefully to the washroom just off the office. Klaus made no attempt to offer help, which in fact, Elijah didn't want. Looking in the mirror, the older brother could see blood on his face, much of it Kiley's. He spent some time washing his face, neck and hands. There was blood on his clothes. The sports coat was ruined and he removed it. He had been ruining an awful lot of his clothing lately.

Out in the office again, he looked at Klaus. "I'm going to check on Kiley."

"He might be pissed. Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No."

"Some of the others might confront you."

"I shall be fine, Niklaus. I go to offer peace." In fact, Elijah could only hope none of Kiley's friends were angry enough to confront him and prevent him from speaking to the injured fellow. Further fighting would not help the situation. He was not even sure an apology would help, but he had to try.

_A/N Will Kiley accept an apology or will he be too angry and hurt? Thanks to you all for your continued reading of this story and my others. I really appreciate it._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_A/N There are probably several different conversations Elijah and Kiley could have, perhaps agreeable, perhaps confrontational. I chose this one._

There were rooms on the ground floor that were used by the vampire "army" for eating, sleeping and socializing. Darkened rooms housed those who slept all day and there were areas where the day walkers could sleep when they wanted. There were not as many men (and a few women) of either kind as there had been when Marcel was ruling the roost. When Marcel had ordered them to attack and capture Klaus in the power struggle, Klaus had killed about twenty of them. Seeing such slaughter, Marcel had surrendered.

Now, Elijah made his way to the room where he expected to find Kiley. Not surprisingly, a couple of the men blocked the doorway, protecting the injured man. They knew Elijah could kill them if he wanted.

"I wish to speak with Kiley. I mean him no further harm."

"I don't think he wants to see you," one of the men said.

"Let him tell me that himself. I will speak with him," Elijah said calmly, but firmly.

After a moment, one of the men stepped aside and the other followed suit. Elijah walked into the room and found two more men near Kiley, who was lying on a leather sofa. Like Elijah's, his wounds had healed. Unlike Elijah, he had not yet washed the blood from his face. Both of them still wore bloodied shirts, but Kiley's was worse. Still sore, he grimaced as he sat up to face his visitor. He was alert for trouble, but he had heard what Elijah had said.

Elijah could have stood there looking down at him, but instead he grabbed a wooden chair and brought it near the couch. Sitting down, he was not in a dominating or threatening position. In fact, the two men standing close by withdrew to the doorway.

"You have every reason to be angry with me. I came to apologize for my attack on you."

"I don't understand why you did it." Kiley watched his visitor warily, worried that Elijah was still volatile. The young man's emotions were very mixed. He was indeed upset over the beating, but his feelings were also hurt because the man he loved had turned on him viciously. He wanted to accept the apology. He also wanted Elijah to atone in some way.

"I do not know if you are aware that I have been hallucinating the past 24 hours. My brother and I believe it is a witch's spell."

"No, I didn't know that. I just knew you were acting weird."

"And feeling weird. Seeing weird things. When you came toward me, I believed you were attacking me."

"I wasn't."

"I know that now. But at that moment, I felt I had to defend myself."

"You weren't _defending_ yourself, Elijah. You were beating the hell out of me like you were enjoying it," Kiley accused.

"I was very frustrated by my confusion and the hallucinations. Even when I realized that you were not fighting back, I admit I turned that frustration on you."

"Because you don't like that I'm gay. You don't like that I touched you when I gave you my blood."

"I don't care that you are gay, Kiley. I would not treat you unfairly because of that. I would not beat you because of it."

"I don't know if I believe you."

"It is the truth. I do, however, judge people by their behavior. I expect you to respect the fact that I am not myself a homosexual. I insist that you not touch me improperly in future. I would prefer that you not make your feelings toward me so obvious to everyone."

"If I were a woman, you wouldn't mind," Kiley said with a touch of indignation.

"On the contrary, I might mind. Again, it depends of how the person acts."

"How do you want me to act? What would you like?"

"I would like you to remain a loyal member of this 'army' and respectful of my brother and me. I appreciate that you volunteered to give me your blood. I understand that it was not just out of kindness or duty. But I don't want to 'lead you on', as they say. I won't do any of the things you may be hoping I could agree to do. I cannot be what you want."

"Can't or won't?"

"I am as I am, just as you are as you are."

"Uh huh. Fancy words, Elijah. You know, I've heard that all long-time vampires 'switch hit' or 'swing both ways' or whatever you want to call it."

"Don't believe everything you hear, Kiley. In any case, when it comes to choosing, it's the fairer sex that catches my eye and stimulates my interest. So, what it boils down to is that I am saying 'no.' Am I making myself clear?" His tone was calm rather than challenging.

"Oh, yeah. I read you loud and clear," Kiley said with disappointment and a little resentment.

"Will you accept my apology for the unwarranted attack? I am sorry it occurred."

"Sure. Why the hell not"" Kiley said grudgingly.

Elijah stood up and, although he didn't need to do so, held out a hand. "Thank you."

After a moment's hesitation, Kiley took the hand to shake it, but he also held onto it. In spite of the beating and the pain he had suffered, he still wanted contact with Elijah. He moved his other hand so that he held the Original's hand in both his. Despite what had happened and despite Elijah's rejection of Kiley's advances, the young man looked into those dark eyes and found himself feeling forgiveness for the attack and desire still for the man.

Elijah didn't pull his hand away for a long moment, giving Kiley something, at least. Then he gently pulled back. After another moment, Kiley reluctantly let go. Elijah nodded slightly to the man on the couch and then turned to leave.

"Elijah."

He looked back.

"Tell me you don't hate me," the young man said with a worried look on his face.

"I don't hate you. And again, I apologize for your injuries," the Original said evenly and left the room, watched by the other men. He didn't know if he had said the right things. He didn't know if he had come across as patronizing or whatever. He also didn't know what the non-gay men thought of him. Being vampires with excellent hearing, they had overheard what he and Kiley had said. It really didn't matter. At least he had had the opportunity to apologize to the young man he had unfairly injured.

Elijah was reminded of the conversation he had had with Hayley about same-sex episodes. He knew that under rare circumstances, he might have accommodated Kiley purely as a sexual outlet, but he felt no need for it. Well, that was not true. He kept thinking about Hayley and wished he had not been ill with the poison when she had offered some intimacy. He would likely have tried to satisfy her wishes. And his own.

He walked to the door of the office and looked inside. Klaus was just coming from the washroom, where he had removed some of the dried blood that had been on his hands and face from the fight. He and Elijah were so used to getting blood on themselves that they tended not to rush to wash it off. Often, it was just a case of wiping most of it off so that they didn't get it on everything they touched. Of course they made the effort to wash up and change clothes before meeting people not involved in whatever bloody occurrence had happened. However, Elijah was more fastidious than Klaus and was quicker to wash and change clothes.

"How did the little chat go?" the younger brother asked.

"Well enough, I believe. I'm going to my room to change."

"Are you hallucinating at present?"

"No."

"Good. Let us hope all that foolishness has ended," the blond hybrid said with a nod and a crooked smile. He had other things to take care of and preferred that Elijah be sane and in control.

_A/N I hope you liked the way this chapter turned out. I'm working on the next one. Of course not all of the problems have gone away._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"I somehow doubt the 'foolishness' has ended," Elijah said with a weary sigh.

"Come now. Let us show some optimism, brother." Klaus laid a hand on his brother's shoulder as they headed for the stairs.

"I want to see if Davina has more to say about Celeste," Elijah said. The two men went to the girl's room and knocked. She had a tendency to lock the door because otherwise Klaus would walk right in.

"What do you want?" her voice came in an annoyed tone.

"I wish to speak with you," Elijah answered.

"Why?"

"About Celeste."

"I don't know anything about her."

"Then why did you say her name?"

"Her name popped into my head when I was thinking about your problem."

"Davina, love, open the damned door," Klaus said in a too-sweet voice.

Fearing he would kick down her door, the girl opened it. "I don't know anything more. Leave me alone!" She glowered at the two men.

"Did her face appear to you?" Elijah asked. "Did you hear her voice?"

"No and no. I heard her name in my mind. Nothing more."

"Who's voice said her name?"

Davina stopped to think. Finally, she said, "I don't know. Maybe there was an accent. Southern? African American?"

"The Caribbean Islands?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know!" Davina insisted. "Stop asking me."

"Please, if you think of anything, let me know," Elijah said calmly.

"Whose blood is that anyway?" the girl asked with a grimace as she looked at Elijah's clothes and then Klaus'.

"It doesn't matter. I am going to shower and change. Again."

Davina closed her door and the two men heard her mutter, "Vampires!"

"Teenagers," Klaus muttered at her closed door. He then walked away.

When Elijah was about to enter his room, he saw Hayley walking toward him, followed by Hawk. He couldn't read her expression, but it was not a happy one. Normally, he would have wanted to appear to the lady as debonair, sophisticated and completely in control. That image had been totally destroyed. Hayley had seen him at his worst – sick, injured, confused, bloodied and brutal. Even fearful. Nevertheless, he had his pride and he held his head up and his shoulders, blood-spattered as they were, squared.

"I was bitchy before," she said, looking him in the eye, for she was a bold woman. "I should not have been."

"I deserved it, I know. Would you like to come in? I must shower, but if you don't mind waiting, we can sit and talk afterward," he said to her as Hawk took up his post again, sitting on the railing and keeping guard.

"All right," Hayley said and she walked into his room when he opened the door. The place was beginning to feel rather familiar to her.

"Please have a seat. I should not be long."

She sat in the chair next to his reading chair and watched him pick clean clothes from the dresser and closet. Then he went into the bathroom and closed the door. She picked up the book about the vampire and tried to read a page, but she was too distracted.

In the bathroom, Elijah undressed and then looked at himself in the mirror. He looked tired, or maybe the word was haggard. He was sure he was alright now physically, but his mental health was in question. Mental stress could wear a person out.

Once again he stepped into the tub/shower, washed the blood from his hair and then proceeded down his body. The center of his back was still sore, even though his spine had healed. He noticed it when he used a body brush on his back.

Finally, feeling clean again, he turned off the water and put out his hand to reach for the towel on the rack just outside the shower curtain. His arm didn't respond correctly and fell to hang by his side. He tried again with the same result. Alarmed and with rising anger, he tried the other arm. It seemed heavy and barely moved. He tried to bend a knee, but his knees were locked. He felt as if he were made of stone. He had become stiff all over, including his organ at his groin. Nevertheless, he did have some tiny movement, a fact that kept him from losing his balance and falling over.

His tongue moved perfectly well and he sent forth a string of profanities equal to the ones he had used earlier. How _dare_ someone do this to him! How did they even _know _he was standing in the shower? Did they, in fact, know he was standing in the shower? The idea of a crystal ball suddenly flashed in his mind. A witch might use a crystal ball to spy on him! Was someone spying on him this very minute?

"Elijah! What's wrong?" Hayley cried from beyond the door. "Can I come in?"

Hidden by the shower curtain, he answered. "Come in."

She entered the room and saw that he was still in the shower. The opaque plastic curtain had some sort of geometric design on it, but she could make out the form of his body. "Are you alright?"

"No. I can't move. Hayley, go get Hawk and then go get Davina. I am under a spell right now and maybe she can detect who is casting it by touching me."

"Alright," Hayley said and she hurried from the room. She told Hawk that he was wanted inside.

"Where you at, boss?" Hawk asked from the bedroom.

"In here. I need your help," Elijah said. In a moment Hawk opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. "I cannot move, Hawk. It's as if I've turned to stone. I'm stiff all over."

Hawk moved the shower curtain to the side and looked the naked man over.

"Whoa there! You stiff, all right. What you want me to do? I don't give that kind of help, boss. Maybe Kiley …"

"Ignore that, damn it! Hayley and Davina are going to come back in a minute. Grab that towel and wrap it around my hips. I can't have that girl seeing me like this." Despite his apparent sexual arousal, he didn't feel aroused at all, except for his anger. He couldn't turn his head or his body to look at the man, but he could glimpse him out of the corner of his eye. It was a relief to see that Hawk had no horns. That he couldn't move showed that this was a different spell.

"That's right, you can't be showing yourself off to that young girl," Hawk agreed. He reached for the big bath towel and wrapped it around Elijah's hips and tucked it in so that it would stay in place. He spotted the clothing the man had removed and he took the belt from the pants. Placing it also around Elijah's hips, he buckled it, lessening the chance the towel would slip down.

Elijah felt less embarrassed with his lower nakedness covered. He didn't care about his upper body. When he heard female voices, he knew Hayley had returned with Davina. They came to the bathroom door.

"Are you decent?" Hayley asked, although she could see the towel.

Davina, right behind Hayley, could also see the Original standing in the bathtub with just a towel around his hips. She was not happy to have been summoned, but now she was curious about the situation. She had mixed feelings about Elijah that were too complicated for her to sort out. She certainly did appreciate that he was handsome, well-built and half naked. Although her glance had swept quickly over the bath towel, she still had noted that there was a prominent bulge under it.

"Davina, I am presently under someone's spell. I cannot move, except minutely. Come lay a hand on my arm, and see if you can sense what or who is responsible. Even look for a crystal ball," Elijah instructed.

The girl warily moved to the side of the tub and reached out to put her hand on the Original's upper arm. His skin was damp and cold and she could feel hard muscle under it. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Because he couldn't turn is head, he could barely see the girl, but he could hear her heartbeat, smell her hot blood and feel the warmth of her hand. There was a slight tremor in her touch and he wasn't sure why. It didn't matter. Within seconds, he found he could move his fingers and he was able to turn his head to look at the women and Hawk. In addition, he felt his groin area settling down. The control someone had over him was vanishing.

Davina let go and stepped back, her eyes opening and staring into his.

"Control has been returned to me. Did you see or feel anything?" he asked her.

Ignoring some of what she was feeling emotionally, she said, "You were right. There is a crystal ball. How did you know that?"

"My brother was tormented by a witch via a crystal ball and a voodoo doll when we were in Virginia. It occurred to me that the witch who is doing this to me can see me by means of such a device. Did you see the person using it?"

"I saw hands. A woman's hands. I sensed anger, then it was all gone. She realized I was making contact. I don't know her or her name or what she looks like. She is close to the French Quarter, but I don't think she is in it. I think it's the same one I sensed before. But you don't think it's really Celeste?"

"No. I cannot believe it would be she," Elijah insisted. "But if it is the one from Virginia, why would she be after me? She was aiding Silas against Niklaus, not me."

"Most of Klaus' enemies are yours, too," Hayley pointed out.

"Unfortunately, that is true. It is a relief to have the spell gone. If you ladies would be kind enough to give me a few minutes of privacy, I shall get dressed."

When Hawk moved toward the door after the ladies had left, Elijah spoke to him. "Hawk, please wait. I don't trust that it is over."

"I don't blame you none. If was me, I'd be spooked all to hell not knowing what come next." He closed the door and watched the Original step from the tub, dry what water was left on his body and then put on his clean underwear. It occurred to Hawk that Kiley would have loved to be standing there watching this well-built man dress.

"You feeling alright?" he asked as the Original pulled on clean slacks.

"So far, so good," Elijah muttered as he added a blue T-shirt. At the sink, he combed his damp hair. His image in the mirror looked more tired than before.

"Maybe it time to leave N'awlins. This here city treating you poorly."

"It's not the city; it's some of the residents. Especially here in the Quarter. I used to feel very welcome here. Times and circumstances have changed."

"That's the truth. Uh huh, it surely is." He didn't mention that things had been fairly peaceful and enjoyable until the Mikaelson brothers had decided to shake things up by challenging Marcel's rule of the Quarter. Like the others at the compound, he had had to choose sides and it had not been easy. He had chosen the brothers' side because they seemed to be the winners.

_A/N Hope you all liked this chapter. The reference to the witch and crystal ball used in Mystic Falls is from my story "Weakness" which I think most of you have read. I'd appreciate any comments about this story. I'm certainly looking forward to the start of Season 2!_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_A/N More about Hawk and also more intimacy between Elijah and Hayley. Hope you like._

"Have you been in New Orleans long?" Elijah asked as he turned to face Hawk. Most of the vampires in the city had come from somewhere else. New Orleans, like Mystic Falls, attracted people with some supernatural powers.

"All my life 'cause it my home. I born here. The Ninth Ward. Finished high school and my dream was to get one of them football scholarships to college. My grades wasn't real good, but I was one tough linebacker. It didn't work out. Then the house where I growed up was ruin by Katrina and the city tore it down. Broke my mama's heart. She passed soon after that."

"I'm sorry to hear that. The hurricane ruined many people's lives," Elijah agreed. The truth was that he really didn't know much about the vampires in their "army." He rarely took time to talk to them about themselves.

"Yes, sir, it surely did. But then I become a vampire and join up with Marcel. Things got better."

"Did Marcel make you a vampire?"

"No. Fella called Coffee Can, but he dead now, too. Got in a fight with some dude with a sharp piece of wood. I don't miss him. Never did like him. You want to hear something weird? Me and Coffee Can was talking with a couple other vampires and they just up and died right in front of us. Word is it happen to plenty others. You ever see that happen?"

"No, but I heard of it happening." Elijah knew that twice, within the last three years, a lot of vampires had dropped dead all over the world. He knew that they were descended from his brothers Finn and Kol, and that when the two brothers were killed, all their descendants died. The same would happen to the descendants of Klaus, Rebekah and himself, should they become really dead. It was a very disturbing thought.

"I believe I am ready to face the ladies," Elijah said and, still barefoot, he moved to the door. Hawk followed him into the bedroom and to the area where Hayley and Davina sat. There was a hassock by one of the chairs and Elijah sat on it facing the women. Hawk moved to the bedroom door and went outside to resume his guard duties.

"Thank you for coming to my room and using your powers of connection, Davina," he said to the girl.

"I bet she'll try to get at you again," she said.

"Probably. I wish I knew why," Elijah admitted.

"Would it be possible to put up some sort of protective shield around this room?" Hayley asked.

"I don't know. I have powers I don't know how to use or control," the girl admitted.

"And I prefer not to be confined to my room like a recalcitrant child," Elijah added.

"But it would give you a safe place to come to when you wanted," Hayley reasoned. "This room is not a safe haven at this point."

"I am aware of that. At least I get a break between these attacks. Since the witch knows you saw the crystal ball, Davina, perhaps she will not use it again."

"If she can see you and I am with you, she may not use it. But I can't stay with you all the time. It's not like when you were in your coffin and I was looking out for it," Davina said.

"And I do not intend to go back into my coffin. I do hope Niklaus does not see that as a solution to this situation."

"He wouldn't dare," Hayley said, although she was not sure.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Davina said with a snort. Standing up, she asked, "Can I go now?"

"Of course, Davina. And thank you for your help," Elijah said. He stood up as a gentleman and would have opened the door for her, but she beat him to it and left. He closed the door behind her and turned to face Hayley. When she looked like she was about to stand up, too, he held out a hand to help her. With her pregnancy, she was not as graceful and as agile as she had been before. Still, to him, she had a certain beauty.

Once she was standing and facing him, he let go of her hand, but they looked at each other for a long moment. Although each felt a longing to hold the other, there was hesitation. Hayley took the initiative and reached out again, this time putting her hands on his upper arms.

"Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

"Hawk asked me the same thing. Do I look that bad?"

"It's your eyes. Tired? Sad?" She moved her hands from his arms to his face, a hand on each side. She could feel the slight trace of beard growth and suspected that he would shave this evening or the next morning.

"I do feel weary. And frustrated. And most annoyed," he admitted, placing his hands on her sides. Her hands on his face were so nice and warm. Werewolves had slightly higher temperatures than humans and much higher ones than vampires. He could hear the rhythmic beating of her heart and the faster beat of the baby's. Hayley's scent was an interesting combination of human, werewolf and pregnancy. And blood, of course. Somehow, it was all very alluring to him and he inhaled deeply.

She moved her hands again so that her fingers were behind his neck where she could feel the dampness of his hair. His hair was not long, but a few stands curled at the back. While her fingers played with it, her mouth somehow found its way to his. Her lips softly moved over his, invitingly.

He responded by putting his arms around her and drawing her close. He kissed her with passion, but was conscious of the bulk of the baby between them and the possibility that someone with a crystal ball was watching them. Drawing back slightly from the kiss, he whispered, "I wish we had a truly private place to go. I feel as if I were in a glass room."

"A crystal ball, perhaps?" she asked with a teasing smile on her face and a small chuckle.

"Likely." A hint of a smile touched his lips and his eyes, not because he thought the situation was humorous, but because her smile brightened his mood. He gave a small chuckle, too.

The baby between them was jounced up and down by their chuckles and gave them both a kick. That made them really laugh. The baby kicked again.

"She's a feisty little thing," Hayley said, her arms now around the man's neck.

"She likely takes after her mother."

"If she takes after her father, too, she will be a handful." She leaned her head forward and sought his mouth again. They spent a long moment enjoying this type of joining, but the other kind was on both their minds.

"I think the bed looks comfortable," Hayley said, not being subtle. She felt he was not going to be forward in this matter.

"I quite agree. I also suspect that we shall have company at any time."

"At least you could lock the door to keep some people out. A locked door is supposed to tell people something."

"Do we wish to tell them the obvious?" Elijah asked. In truth, he was uncomfortable with that. Despite being a bold killer, he was sometimes just a bit shy.

"You are too proper, Elijah," she whispered, grinning at him. She tried to press her lower body against his, but due to the baby, her pelvis was some inches from his.

He eased his grip on her back, allowing her to lean back slightly, and his hands moved down to press against her buttocks. They then had the contact she had been seeking. She could tell all this was getting him aroused, which pleased her. She was seriously aroused already and trying not to make it obvious. So, where would it lead? With his cautious nature, what was he willing to do with her?

To her surprise, he suddenly scooped her up in his arms and then laid her down on the bed. There was room for him between her and the edge of the bed and he lay down in that space, facing her. Moving up onto one elbow, he leaned over and kissed her chin, her jaw and then her neck. She didn't move, for a moment fearing he would bite, but he didn't. He was kissing her and tasting her, but not biting. His free hand snuck up under her shirt. She was wearing a bra and his fingers moved from her cleavage, under the fabric of the bra and to the nipple on that side.

She was so aroused and sensitive by this time that these simple touches actually sent the ripple of a small orgasm through her body, taking her by surprise and making her gasp. It was a surprise that she welcomed and made her want more.

Within a couple of minutes, their hands had wandered over their clothes and down each other's bodies to other sensitive and pleasurable areas. Hayley finally reached for his belt buckle and Elijah was working on undoing the tie strings of Hayley's maternity slacks when suddenly a pain shot through his head as if someone had stabbed him in the middle of his forehead. With a cry, his body was flung backward, off the bed and onto the floor.

Hayley cried out in surprise and then alarm as she looked over the edge of the bed and saw him unconscious. Then she felt fury overcome her when she guessed the witch was attacking him again. She uttered some angry profanities and punched the bed mattress. Then she heaved herself to a sitting position and off the bed.

"You need help in there?" came Hawk's voice, for he had heard her swearing. He was reluctant to force the door open and interrupt whatever Elijah was doing.

"One moment, Hawk," Hayley said as she checked her clothing and then moved to unlock the door. "Elijah just collapsed on the floor. I think he's out cold." She was glad Elijah's zipper was still zipped. What if they had been having actual intercourse and he had collapsed? Older human men sometimes had a heart attack in the middle of that. She was sure Elijah would have been very embarrassed when he awoke.

Hawk moved over to where the Original lay and looked closely at him. He didn't ask what they had been doing because he had a keen sense of smell and could detect the scent of sexual arousal. Obviously the two had not reached the point of undressing.

"I gonna put him on the bed. No sense him laying on the floor." He lifted the limp man in his arms and laid him on the bed just as Elijah had laid Hayley there. "You want to call Klaus?"

Klaus was away from the house, they both knew. If not, he would have come to the room earlier when Elijah was cursing loudly or just now when she had done so.

"I don't see what Klaus can do. Maybe Davina could help, but I'm not sure how. She needs to locate that damned witch and put a stop to this!"

"Maybe Klaus doing that now," Hawk said in a hopeful tone.

"That would be great. I guess there's nothing to do but wait until Elijah wakes up. Hawk, watch him for a minute. I have to use the bathroom, then I'll stay with him."

"Yes, ma'am. You take your time. He ain't going nowhere right now."

When Hayley came from the bathroom, she found Hawk standing by the chair with the book in his hand.

"Why a vampire read a book about a vampire?" he asked Hayley as he set it down on the table.

"I don't know. He reads all kinds of books." She sat down in one of the chairs and watched Hawk go to the door and leave. Her get-together with Elijah had not been a total waste. They had pleased each other in a couple of ways, although she would have liked the chance to go further. He seemed perfectly willing. He had wonderful hands and seemed to know just what to do with them to make a woman feel good. Would they get the chance to continue that activity? Should they?

Their world was a crazy one. While humans dealt with differences in race, religion, politics, greed and jealousy, as well as a host of other things, people like her and Elijah and Davina were also dealing with magic and the supernatural and being of different species, in a way. They were a danger to each other. She should never have slept with the hybrid Klaus. She likely should not be intimate with the Original vampire Elijah. It was asking for trouble.

_A/N So, what did you think? Should the vampire and the werewolf still be drawn to each other?_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Needless to say, Elijah and Hayley's world was a crazy one, the pregnant werewolf thought. While humans dealt with differences in race, religion, politics, greed and jealousy, as well as a host of other things, people like her and Elijah and Davina were also dealing with magic and the supernatural and being of different species, in a way. They were a danger to each other. She should never have slept with the hybrid Klaus. She likely should not be intimate with the Original vampire Elijah. It was asking for trouble.

On top of that, she was in the middle of a serious war, a struggle for control of the French Quarter and much of the city beyond. Humans, vampires, witches and werewolves were all maneuvering for power, scheming against each other, sometimes even resorting to killings. It made her sick. And while Elijah could be a gentleman and a tender lover, he could also be a vicious killer with a cold, unfeeling heart. He was co-leader of the larger division of the vampires. He and Klaus.

She considered the pack of werewolves with whom she hung out as hers because she had recently learned that her biological family had ties to that pack. There was a kinship and the members of the pack recognized it. She was comfortable out there in the woods and swamp with them, but she was also comfortable in the Quarter. Or at least she would be if the damned war was not raging. If she had freedom to move around. If there were no danger for her unborn child.

She looked at the man, unmoving on the bed, his features relaxed, no fangs, no red eyes, no dark lines on his pale face, his hands not in fists. His eyes were closed, the dark eyes that could seem so warm or so dangerously cold. He took a slow breath every once in a while and she could see an artery slowly pulsating at his temple. At the moment he looked helpless and vulnerable. She wanted to take care of him.

She got up from the chair and went to sit on the edge of the bed with her back against the headboard. Cautiously she touched his forehead, moving a strand of hair aside. He could wake suddenly and feel threatened, but she took the chance that he would not. So, she stroked his hair and waited.

Elijah felt the stroking of his hair and forehead, but he was also dreaming. He was a small child, sick with a winter cold with a stuffed-up head, running nose, sneezing and a cough. His head ached and his stomach was queasy. It helped somehow that his mother had him on her lap and hugged close to her bosom. A soft fur wrap was keeping them both warm, although their log house was not freezing cold. A fire burned on the hearth, but it didn't seem to warm him. A shiver ran through him.

Feeling miserable, he snuggled against her warm body and sniffed and whimpered at his discomfort, wishing his parent could make him feel well again. The stroking of his hair and the soft humming of a song did help. His little brother Finn leaned close to his mother's knee, wanting some of the attention the older child was getting. Well, he couldn't have it. This was Elijah's time to be comforted.

Elijah awoke from the dream and found himself feeling a bit disoriented with a vague ache in his head. He could feel the hand stroking his hair and knew it was Hayley's. Her scent was close to him. With his eyes still closed, he reached up slowly and took her hand, bringing it to is lips.

"You're awake, I take it," she said calmly.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the pregnant young lady. "I was dreaming. I was a child feeling ill and my mother had me on her lap, holding me close. It was comforting."

"Didn't you say your mother was not a nice woman?"

"She was a good mother when we were young. Life was hard. She bore six children who lived past infancy, but she also buried several as young as that. A parent worried about a sick child because it might not survive. Only five of her children reached maturity. If one wishes to call Kol and Rebekah 'mature.'"

"I hope I will be a good mother."

"I'm sure you will be. What happened here, Hayley? Were we not on this bed and doing something quite intimate?" He turned his head and saw that the bedding was rumpled. His free hand moved to feel his pants, finding them in place, the zipper closed and his belt buckled.

"We were, until you suddenly fell off the bed. You don't recall what happened?"

"No. What did happen?" He didn't like having blank areas in his memory.

"I'm not sure. It was as if someone punched you. You were out cold on the floor. Hawk put you back on the bed."

"The damned witch? I find that most infuriating." After a pause, he kissed the palm of her hand. "Perhaps we may continue what we started some other time. I believe the mood has been broken."

"I'm afraid so. How do you feel?"

"Let me sit up and see if there is any residual effect," he said and he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He felt no dizziness or other serious ill effects. "I believe I have a faint headache, perhaps from falling off the bed and hitting the floor."

"It may have been from something else. I got the distinct impression that something caused you a sharp pain and you threw yourself backward and right off the bed. As I said, it was like you were punched in the head."

"I do not recall that. Did I have a bruise?" He touched his forehead.

"Not that I could see."

"This cannot go on." He stood up and seemed to be steady. He went into the bathroom and stared at his image in the mirror over the sink. There was no doubt that he looked tired. Maybe there was even a haunted look in his eyes.

He went back out into the bedroom and indicated to Hayley that they leave the room. Hawk was outside and spoke. "Good to see you on your feet, boss."

"I hope to remain so," Elijah said with a wry smile. He and Hayley headed for the stairs. "I wonder if Niklaus is around."

"I don't think so. He didn't come to your room when you fell and I was cussing at the damned witch."

"You were cussing? What will the baby think?" Elijah teased in his subtle way.

"She'll forgive me, I'm sure. I was just so mad and so frustrated."

"I believe I was trying to relieve some of your frustration when I was interrupted. I apologize for that," he murmured in her ear, one hand against her back.

"And you were doing so well at it," she murmured back with a coquettish grin.

They both knew the vampires down in the courtyard were watching them and trying to hear what they were saying. A few of the nightwalkers were up now, but staying in the shadows of the western side of the house. Sunlight still shown on the upper floor where Elijah and Hayley stood.

Elijah started down the stairs and then stopped. There was a sudden, severe pain in his head. In his mind he saw that there was a bird, a frightened bird, trapped in his head. It pecked at the inside of his skull and scratched his brain. It beat its wings frantically, causing him agony. He heard a scream and thought it was the bird's, but then he realized it was his own. He didn't want to be screaming, but he couldn't help it.

Hayley was shocked to hear him scream and to see him grab his head. His expression showed he was suffering again. She reached for him, but he turned and fell, tumbling down the stairs, coming to rest on his back at the second level landing. She hurried down to bend over him, but she had to step back because he was flailing around.

"Get it out!" Elijah screamed and he pounded his temple with his fist. He thought if he punched a hole in his head, the bird could escape. He needed to let it out because it was causing excruciating pain. He also tried to move away from the spot where he lay. If he moved in a blur, perhaps he could leave the bird behind. However, he found he couldn't do that. He and the bird were stuck in one place. He punched his head again, trying to crack his skull open.

Hawk came down the stair in a blur and called to the men below to come up to help him control Elijah. He could see that the Original was going to injure himself. Several of the day walkers hurried up to the landing and managed to get hold of Elijah's arms in an attempt to keep him from bashing his head. Others also grabbed his legs because he could kick them all away. He was as hard to hold onto as an angry cat.

While a frightened Hayley stayed on the steps and out of the way, she saw Klaus suddenly come up the stairs and take a moment to look at the melee.

"What?" he demanded of her.

"He's possessed or under attack in his mind," Hayley gasped.

"Hold onto him!" Klaus told the others, noting that it was Kiley who had hold of his brother's head and was trying to avoid getting bitten. Elijah's fangs were down and he was trying to bite in between screaming. "I'll be right back," Klaus added and he zipped up the stairs past Hayley.

Davina also arrived, coming up from the courtyard and pushing into the group of men to reach Elijah. She put a hand on his forehead, a moving target, and closed her eyes. Strange chanting words came from her mouth as Kiley frowned at her. He continued to keep a grip on the wild man's head.

Klaus returned and everyone sort of gasped. He had one of the daggers, its tip gray with ash. He too pushed in between the men until he could get the dagger over his brother's chest. "Hold him tightly," he ordered and those with a grip on the downed man did not let him loose. He carefully pressed the sharp tip through the shirt that covered the muscles and ribs over Elijah's heart. He then pressed down hard and the blade penetrated between ribs and into the frantically pounding heart.

There was a screech from Elijah and his body arched. Unnoticed by anyone, there seemed to be a slight tremble in the building just before Davina withdrew her hand, moved away and quickly went down the stairs. They all watched as Elijah ceased to struggle, his breathing stopped, his heart became still, his eyes closed and the fangs retracted. The older Original went still, as his skin turned gray and drawn and leathery. Most of the men holding onto him moved back. There was silence until one of the new female vampires, standing in the shadows of the second floor, gasped.

"Oh my God! Elijah's dead! You killed him!" she cried, her eyes shifting back and forth from the man with the dagger in his chest to the brother who had put it there. Tears of grief suddenly ran down her face. Hayley and Kiley were not the only ones who had strong feelings for Elijah.

_A/N Another bad episode for Elijah. The trouble with fighting witches is that they don't have to be present at the site of the chaos that they can cause. Did Davina make a difference?_


End file.
